All I Need
by lizaroni
Summary: Jacob never told Renesmee that he imprinted on her. Now there's a new guy in her life that threatens their predestined relationship. Will Jacob choose to fight for her or let her go? (Bad at summaries it's not as corny as it sounds) Rated M for later chapters of lemony goodness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of the beautiful and talented Ms. Stephanie Meyer. Thank you for bringing these wonderful characters into our lives.

**Just realized that this chapter is pretty long. I really didn't mean for it to be but I guess I had a lot to say :x. I don't think the next chapters will be as lengthy. This is my first Fanfic so please review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

Jacob's POV

My greatest fear had just come true. I felt as if I couldn't breath. The ground beneath my feet was uneven. Weird, it had been perfectly fine a minute ago. Everything was spinning. I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to puke or hit something. Maybe both. Well, there was really no point in hitting _something_. Everything the Cullen's owned was so nice; though money wasn't an obstacle for them. Still, it would be rude if I broke _something_. I should be more focused on how I could break _him._ Now I couldn't decide if I would rather punch him in his face or break off the hand that was holding on to hers. As I stood there with my fists clenched and weighing my options, I felt an inexplicable calm fall over me. My nausea disappeared and my hands relaxed. Subconsciously, I realized it must be Jasper's doing. There are times that I actually enjoy his little emotion-controlling trick, but right now it frustrated me that he wasn't letting me feel what I wanted to feel. After surveying the room however, I realized that it might not be for my benefit alone. Edward had a look on his face that I was all too familiar with. Back in the days when I had been competing with him for Bella, I had been on the receiving end of that look many times. That was a long time ago, before my whole reason for existing came into being. Now if only she would get rid of this _loser_ holding her hand.

Nessie is 7-years-old now in human years. As predicted back in the day, she's reached her full maturity. After the face-off with the Volturi, we moved to Alaska for a few years. Life was good there for a while. Bella and Edward went to high school again and I mostly stayed home and took care of Ness. Eventually she started school too and I went with her. We were inseparable. I was her best friend and confidant. We were partners in crime. She grew into an incredible young woman. She shared her mother's love for reading and her father's love of music. Alice tried to get her to love fashion and clothing but she would pick jeans and a t-shirt over designer anything every time. She loved the outdoors. Most of our time was spent outside. Much to my delight she was fascinated by Native American history. Most kids ask for fairytales about princesses before bedtime. My Nessie liked to hear a good Quileute war story before drifting off to dreamland. Every day she grew more beautiful inside and out and every day I fell more and more in love with her. I'm convinced that I would be in love with her even if I hadn't imprinted her.

Of course she has no idea that I've imprinted on her. I'd decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to make her choose me. I wanted her to be able to love who she wanted to, even if I didn't have the same luxury. Once when I was running with the pack, I heard Leah accuse me of being a coward. She thinks that I choose not to tell Ness about me imprinting because I'm still insecure about myself; that Bella permanently messed me up some how. Though if that were the case, wouldn't I tell Ness so I could claim what was rightfully mine, or whatever? It's been almost 10 years of sharing a mind with Leah and I still don't get how she thinks. Either way, I could never claim Ness. If I learned anything from my messed up love triangle with Bella and Edward it's that everyone should have a choice in who they love. Even though I still believe all of that, I have to admit telling her about imprinting would make this situation a lot easier.

About a year ago, we all moved back to Forks. Charlie had gotten sick and we all rushed home. He has a pretty aggressive form of cancer and Bella wanted to be with him for the end and all. There had been talk about turning him but the family, Bella included, eventually decided against it. Immortality wouldn't suit Charlie. He belonged in the natural flow of life. He'd never be happy to stand on the riverbank with the rest of us while everything passed by us for all of eternity. As much as he loved Bella, he didn't have someone to spend forever with. It was his destiny to slip into the peaceful beyond just like it was ours to let him go. Anyone who says that immortality doesn't have its disadvantages must have never loved a mortal.

Being back in Forks had its pros and cons. It was nice to be back at LaPush. Sam and Emily have a beautiful baby girl and it's good to be back with more wolves. I missed the feeling of camaraderie while I was in Alaska. Bella seemed happy to be back despite the situation with Charlie. All in all, it had been a good move but there were some issues that needed to be addressed when it came to the school thing. We hadn't been gone long enough for the Cullen's to go back to Forks. Too many teachers would remember them. Edward and Bella decided to make the commute to Port Angeles. Emmett got a job at an auto repair shop. Jasper decided to switch it up and go to the University of Seattle to study American History. The girls decided to open a boutique in Port Angeles much to the town's delight. I decided to stay on the reservation mostly. I had had my fill of school for a while and wouldn't mind a break. The only problem was Ness. A week after we arrived in Forks, she announced that she would not be commuting with her parents, but attending Forks High School.

"I'm not a child anymore! I've never even gotten to go to school by myself! I've always had to go with my _entire_ family watching my every move. I want to take advantage of this and be a normal teenager."

"You're not a teenager," was Edward's reply through clenched teeth. "You are 7-years-old Renesmee."

"I beg to differ," she scoffed. "I dare you to find a 7-year-old who looks like me, or has my intelligence, or maturity…"

"You're right since you're acting like a 5-year-old."

"Really, Edward, that's enough," Bella interjected. "We can't keep treating her like a child. She didn't grow up the same way you or I did. She's entitled to some freedom. If she wants to go to Forks, she can go to Forks. It was hard for her to leave Juneau to come here. No, darling, I know it was. But she didn't complain once. She rarely asks for anything and this is such a small request. Renesmee, come September you will go to Forks. End of discussion," she said with finality in her tone that Edward knew better than to question.

Nessie thrived at Forks. No one questioned her about being a Cullen; people had long ago decided it wasn't worth it to ask questions. She got involved in theater and starred in the schools production of Romeo and Juliet. She made friends and had a vibrant social life. Despite her newfound popularity, she still managed to spend plenty of time with me. She loved cliff diving and going to bonfires on the reservation. She created a strong bond with Leah that made me nervous but I gave Leah an order that she couldn't say anything to Ness about imprinting or my feelings about her. We were happy.

That brings us to today and the whole me trying to decide to puke or punch and Edward's evil glare. I was at the Cullen house waiting for Nessie to get home from school. Generally, I'm here when she gets home, I help her with her homework, we eat dinner, and on weekdays we hang out at the house and watch T.V. or a movie or something before she gets ready for bed. We generally spend Fridays at LaPush with the pack and Saturdays with her school friends. We've gone to a party or two but Ness decided pretty early that it wasn't her scene. We'd developed a pretty comfortable schedule so I was getting nervous when she was almost two hours late. She had mentioned she was going to stop at the Lodge with a friend and get a coffee or something after school but I had figured that would take half and hour tops. I was just about to go out looking for her when Bella emerged from the kitchen with a confused look on her face.

"What's up, Bells?"

"Renesmee is home," she replied with the perplexed look still on her face.

"Oh good. Now I don't have to go stalking around town for her. I wonder what took her so long."

"Jacob. She's not alone."

"What do you mean? Who's with her?"

"I'm not sure. I don't recognize his scent."

"Wait. What? Did you just say _his_ scent?"

At that Edward came down the stairs at vamp speed, his mouth in a tight, straight line. It had been a while since I'd seen him look upset like that. Probably since Ness said she wanted to go to Forks instead of Port Angeles. He turned to me.

"You need to be warned. He's here to ask me if he take Renesmee to the prom as his date. She's excited about it."

My mouth fell open. That's about when the whole nausea thing started. Then they walked in.

Ness looked gorgeous as ever. Her bronze hair flowed in all its natural beauty to the middle of her back. She was wearing an old pair of jeans and her worn out combat boots with a comfy grey t-shirt. I felt a swell of pride in my chest when I realized she was wearing _my_ leather jacket. Of course that kind of deflated once I realized she was holding his hand.

I half listened as she introduced him to the family. Carlisle and the rest of the clan were pleasant as always, though Emmett made a point to flex his biceps a little and squeeze the kid's hand just a little too hard when they shook hands. I'd have to remember to thank him for that later. Bella was warm and polite as a mother should be. Traitor. It's times like this when I almost wish she were still an awkward human with limited social skills. Edward's mouth hadn't left its rigid position since (I think his name was Joe?) walked into the room. He shook his hand but glared directly at him. I couldn't help but chuckle a little internally at that. Edward and I weren't often on the same side, but in this, I was pretty sure I had a strong ally.

Nessie finally reached me and introduced me to my new enemy.

"Joe, this is Jacob Black. Jake, this is my… this is Joe."

I looked at Ness and raised an eyebrow at that. She didn't know what to call him? Not a good sign.

"Black? So you're not related to Ren?"

"Do I look like I'm related to _Ness_?" I scoffed, making sure to emphasize her name. I had nicknamed her almost as soon as she was born and had never been fond of any other shortening of her name. Turns out I hated it even more coming from his mouth. That was around when I decided I needed to punch something.

"Jacob is just an old family friend," Ness interjected while glaring at me. I have to admit, that hurt. Being glared at and dismissed as "just an old family friend" was enough to make me want to whimper in a corner. Instead I stood a little taller and made sure my face was still hard as steel.

"Oh how rude of us, keeping you in the doorway! Come in come in! So what brings you all the way out here, Joe?" Bella asked, attempting to diffuse the situation.

"Well ma'am, I actually came here to ask you and Mr. Cullen a question," said Joe as he sat on the couch with Nessie, still holding her fucking hand. Seriously, were they stuck together or something? "I already asked Ren," my face soured at the sound of the nickname again, "but I wanted to get your approval as well. The senior class has its prom in May and I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany her as her date."

At that point I was fairly certain I was about to break the doorframe that I had propped myself up against for the conversation. Bella noticed from the corner of her eye and gave me a look. Over the years, we've managed to get the whole communicating without words thing down pat. This look was lined with sympathy but at the same time, she was warning me not to ruin this for Ness. That's when Jasper's little wave of calm came over me and I started to feel better. That and I looked at Nessie's face. She looked so damn happy. Nervous, excited, and happy. Just like that, I could be angry anymore, not when she looked like that. At the same time, I couldn't stay there. I silently left the room and slipped out the backdoor. I was peeling off my shirt when Leah came up on the porch.

"Going somewhere?"

"Can't talk. Gotta run this off. Leah," I turned and looked her straight in the eye, "don't phase for at least an hour. I need some quite time."

With that I jogged off the deck and into the woods to finish undressing. As soon as I had shed my clothes I phased and started running. Running has always been my favorite escape. I immediately started to feel better. I could feel the earth beneath my paws, the burn in my legs, the fresh air in my lungs. As soon as I thought my head was clear I felt Leah pop in, "Sorry, Jake, I know you said don't phase but Bella and Nessie are asking for you and I figured you'd want to know."

I sighed, "Alright. I'm on my way back."

Then she was gone again and I turned around to start making my way home. The closer I got to the house, the tighter the grip of dread grasped my heart. The run had been a temporary high, but it hadn't provided me with any answers. What the hell was I gonna do?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the follows, guys! I really hope you like it so far. Please review and let me know what you think!**

Chapter 2

Jacob's POV

I phased back into my human form in the trees where I had left my clothes. I was still struggling to get my head through the neck hole when I heard a voice whisper softly, "Hi, Jake."

I popped my head through to find Bella staring up at me with a concerned look in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Bells. I just needed a minute to clear my head. I'm good now."

"You don't look good."

"Aw gee thanks, Bella. You know, you're looking a little more dead than usual yourself today."

As soon as the words left my lips, I immediately regretted them. It's been a long time since we fought about the whole vampire thing and I certainly didn't mean to start it up again now.

"I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it. It's just… I'm just…"

"I know, Jake. It's ok. You always lash out when you're scared."

I opened my mouth to protest but no words came out. She was right. I was scared. I was terrified that I was going to lose my entire reason for existing to some guy who would never love or appreciate her as much as I did.

We made our way back up to the deck. I stopped and leaned against the railing, looking out into the woods so I wouldn't have to look at Bella.

"So what did Edward say after I left?"

"He said yes, of course, though begrudgingly. What could he say, Jake?"

I knew he would say yes. And Bella was right, as usually. It wasn't as if he could just say no without a good reason. Still, I felt the sting of disappointment in my heart. A part of me hoped that for once, Edward would do something irrational. Maybe he wouldn't be as useful of an ally as I thought…

"So where's Ness now?"

"She's in the kitchen with Joe. He's staying for supper."

I groaned outwardly. The thought of having to share a meal with them was bringing back the nausea. Although if they were eating, they probably couldn't hold hands, right?

Bella and I stood there in a comfortable silence for a while. Finally I looked over at her and said, "You know, I never said I was sorry?"

"Sorry? For what?"

"For not being more understanding. You know, way back when I tried to make you love me. I mean, at the end I knew that I lost. I gave you that whole speech about being the air and the sun. I claimed to understand the hold that Edward had on you but at the time, I had no idea. Until her… I had no idea you could possibly need someone as much as I need her and as much as I know you and Edward need each other. So I'm sorry for making that more difficult for you."

"Oh Jacob," she sighed sadly. "You did make things more difficult, but you also made me realize just how much I loved him. I knew if I couldn't love you more than I loved him then I would never love anyone more than him. It was hard but in a way you sealed my fate. And being loved by you was one of the greatest honors of my life. I don't regret any of it and I wouldn't change a single thing. But I'm glad that you found a drug of your own and you understand now."

"That's just the thing. I still don't want to be a drug. I know there's no hope for me. I imprinted. That's endgame. But that doesn't mean it has to be that way for her. I want to be good for her you know? I still want to find a way to fall in love without all of the monsters and magic. I want that for her."

"So you're still not going to tell her?"

"No. I won't tell her until I know she loves me for me and not because she thinks she has to because of some predestined bullshit."

"And if she doesn't choose to be with you?"

"Then she'll never find out."

Bella looked at me in disbelief. "You're a good man Jacob Black. If I didn't love her as much as I did, I would say she doesn't deserve you."

"Don't be silly, Bella. She deserves everything."

With that we turned and walked back into the house to get ready for dinner. I looked in the kitchen and saw Ness cutting up an onion. I thought about going in to talk to her but saw _him_ by her side rambling on about something. She looked content enough so I followed Bella into the living room to sulk for a while.

Renesmee's POV

I was cutting up an onion for dinner while I tried to listen to some story that Joe was telling me. I think I was doing a good job at pretending to focus, laughing and smiling in all the right places. Honestly, my brain was a little sidetracked. I knew the second that Jake got back to the house from his run. Whenever he's near I can feel it. It's like the air around me changes and an invisible weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I always feel better when he's around.

I noticed my mom go out back to see him. As soon as she closed the sliding back door behind her, I concentrated real hard to hear what was being said. I haven't told my family yet that my hearing had been improving significantly over the past year or so. Some of my powers have always been evident. The all know that I'm fast and my mind trick has never been a secret. This new little ability was something I wanted to keep quite for the time being. This way, everyone continues to talk about me without knowing that I'm listening. I'm sure it will come out at some point but right now I like having my little secret. It's not perfect like my family's super hearing but if I concentrate I can usually hone in on conversations.

At first all I could hear were murmurs. I heard Jake groan at something and that's when I really started to focus. Luckily, Joey hadn't noticed that I'd become considerably quieter. He must be saying something fascinating. A part of me regretted not paying closer attention to him but this seemed more important.

"So you're still not going to tell her?"

"No. I won't tell her until I know she loves me for me and not because she thinks she has to because of some predestined bullshit."

"And if she doesn't choose to be with you?"

"Then she'll never find out."

Predestined bullshit? That had to mean that Jacob had imprinted. I felt something drop into my stomach like a lead stone. Ever since Leah had told me about imprinting, I had dreaded the day it would happen to Jake. Selfish as it was, he was arguably the most important person in my life and I didn't really want to share him with anyone ever. I knew it was an unhealthy way to feel about him but I just couldn't help it.

"You're a good man Jacob Black. If I didn't love her as much as I did, I would say she doesn't deserve you."

"Don't be silly, Bella. She deserves everything."

My mother loved Jake's imprint? But that would mean it had to be someone we knew. How could I lose Jake to someone that I knew? If my mother loved them then I had to as well. Our social circle is pretty limited and I love everyone that my mother loves. My mind was racing a mile a minute until I was suddenly brought back down to Earth by the guy standing next to me.

"Uh, Ren? I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure if you cut that onion any smaller, we're not going to be able to eat it."

"Huh? Oh, right!"

I looked down at the pile I had made on the cutting board. The onion was completely chopped and I was dicing the pieces I had already diced.

"Silly me. I was so enticed by your story I forgot what I was doing."

"It's ok. I like that you actually listen to me when I talk. I don't get that from a lot of people."

A wave of guilt flowed over me. I really did like Joey. I had for a while now. Now that I knew he felt the same way I should be basking in the glory of the moment and not worrying about Jake.

"Give me one minute. I forgot the next step in the recipe. I'll just go ask Grandma Esme and I'll be right back."

"Hurry back," he said and gave me a peck on the cheek. I could feel a flush flood to the spot where his lips had just been. I grinned widely at him and turned to go into the living room to find Grandma Esme. As I walked done the hallway though the feeling of excitement faded and was replaced with curiosity and intrigue. Who in the world had Jacob imprinted on?


	3. Chapter 3

**So I said there would be some lemons and I mean to be true to my word. I know it can be frustrating to see that in a summary and then get chapter after chapter of nothing. So here's a little something to wet your pallet and trust me I do have plans for much, much more to come!**

**Characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer **

Chapter 3

"_Oh, Jake."_

_I reveled in the feel of his lips upon my skin. He nibbled at my neck and found the spot that makes me moan. I could feel him smile as I gasped for air, that is until I ground my hips upward to meet him and felt his bulge near my core. Then he let out a growl and continued trailing down my body. He reached my breasts and lightly took one of my nipples between his teeth while he rolled the other between his fingertips. My panties were dripping as I grabbed the back of his head and placed my other hand on his cheek as I showed him what I needed but was too embarrassed to say. His jaw dropped as images flashed in his brain and when I removed my hand he smiled wickedly up at me. I saw his head disappear between my legs and then…_

I woke up panting and sweating. The alarm clock glowing next to my bed read 3:17 a.m. I sat up and put my head into my hands, trying desperately to shake the images from my mind. But they were so vivid and clear. It was as if it had actually happened. Like I could actually taste him on my lips. Like I could actually feel the weight of his body pressed against mine. Like our hearts had actually been beating together, separated by nothing more than flesh and bone.

I swung my legs out of bed, grabbed the cup on my nightstand and tiptoed to the bathroom to fill it with water. I don't know why I really bothered with the tiptoeing. When you live in a cottage with two vampires with super hearing that never sleep it's actually kind of pointless. But I did it anyway. My parents must have known I didn't want them to hear me because they let me return to my room in peace. I climbed back into bed and sipped my water. I stared into the darkness as I let my mind ponder through my subconscious.

It had been two months since I brought Joey home to meet my family. We've been dating ever since. Thinking of him brought a smile to my face that came from my very core. I really liked him. He was incredibly handsome for starters. Fair skinned, 6'4", athletic build, gorgeous blue eyes that I frequently find myself getting lost in kind of handsome. But I didn't just like him for his looks. He was actually incredibly deep. He liked learning and books. His favorite was politics and he wanted to become a Congressman or a Senator one day. I think he'd be very good at it. He's charming and brilliant with a real burning passion. People usually underestimated him for his pretty boy looks but he had long since learned to use that to his advantage. He was the guy that every girl at Forks wanted to date and for some reason that I could never really understand, he chose me. Luckily, with the exception of a few superficial girls who's opinion I had never valued anyway, everyone seemed happy for us. We were the perfect couple. He made me feel like a princess. We hadn't fought as of yet. We agreed on basically everything. We had similar tastes in movies and books. We both had a deep appreciation of music and loved Clair de Lune. On our first date he was a perfect gentleman. He paid for everything and he didn't attempt anything inappropriate. Everything was _almost_ perfect.

In the privacy of my own thoughts, I'd recently allowed myself to admit that there was one flaw with Joey. He liked things and he was good at a lot of things, but he wasn't a _passionate_ person. In the two months we'd been together, I'd yet to see him express a burning need or desire to do anything. When he played basketball for the school team he always remained calm and collected whether they won or lost. When he played piano he performed beautifully but without any real feeling. When he talked about things he loved he did so with a relaxed carefree attitude that lacked any urgency or excitement. Even when we kissed, there felt like there was something missing. It wasn't as if it wasn't enjoyable. In fact, I enjoyed our little make-out sessions very much and though I couldn't read his mind like my father could, he had shown… physically just how much he enjoyed them on more than one occasion. Still, I had difficulty hiding my disappointment after our first kiss. I had been so excited. It was after our second date and he was dropping me off at home. He parked his car at Grandma and Grandpa's house rather than try and drive back to the cottage. We walked through the woods holding hands and carrying on our conversation from the car. We finally reached the door, said goodnight, and he gently took my face in one hand. I remember closing my eyes and feeling a million butterflies in my stomach. Then our lips touched and I felt… nothing. The wings stopped fluttering and instead of fireworks I just saw the backs of my eyelids. When he pulled away I smiled but I was extremely confused. The next kiss was exactly the same, and the one after that. Eventually I decided that my expectations were too high. I had finally read one too many romance novels and was looking for something that didn't exist.

Aside from that, our relationship was great. I was happy with him. It was easy. The only other downside was that I was seeing less and less of Jake. We never addressed the weirdness of the first day that he met Joey. I figured it was a typical big brother reaction when meeting the first boyfriend. After that he hung out with us a few times. But then I started going to Joey's house after school instead of coming straight home and Joey always had at least one party to go to a weekend. I've never really liked the rambunctious high school parties but as Joey's girlfriend I felt it was my duty to go. Jake came to one or two but I could tell he really hated it. Then he caught Joey and I making out in a corner one time and he stopped coming out with us after that. He must have been pretty grossed out. As much as I loved spending time with Joey, I missed my time with Jake. Sure, he didn't like to discuss Victorian poetry or go to museums in Seattle or listen to classical music, but I missed the fun things we used to do together. As athletic as Joey was, he wasn't exactly an outdoors guy. He preferred a walk in Port Angeles to a hike in the woods and the electric fireplace in Grandma and Grandpa's living room to a bonfire at LaPush. And even though he was incredibly smart, he had an incredibly dull sense of humor. That's not to say that he didn't like to laugh. He could tell a funny story or embellish things to get a laugh out of a crowd. He was charming-kind-of funny. Sarcasm, however, was completely lost on him. Growing up with Jacob and my mother, I have a tendency to be bitingly sarcastic. Jacob had always appreciated it, probably since I learned it from him. I also missed being able to watch stupid movies or watch trashy T.V. with him. We didn't like trashy T.V. because we thought it was good, be just liked to make fun of all the people who participated. Joey preferred CNN or C-Span.

As much as I missed Jake, I figured he had his hands full with his own love life. I hadn't forgotten the conversation I had overheard. Over the weeks that followed I had watched him carefully, trying to see if I could detect any change in his interactions within our little family. I was convinced it had to be someone close to us. For a while I wondered if it could be someone back in Juneau but then I remembered Sam telling me once that he physically couldn't bear to be away from Emily for more than a few days at a time. He had managed a week once, but said he had been in agony. If it hadn't been for some extremely important pack thing, he said he would never have willingly put himself in that position. We had been back in Forks for almost a year now and since I was pretty certain Jake wasn't making secret trips back to Alaska every few days, I ruled that theory out. Finally, one day I noticed him giving Leah a hug and kiss on the cheek in the woods behind Grandma and Grandpa's house before phasing to go on a run. Never, in my seven years of life, have I ever seen Jacob hug Leah. I remember feeling a wave of rage and jealousy crash over me. Uncle Jasper had suddenly looked over at me from where he had been playing my father in chess. The sudden change in my emotions must have alarmed him. I thought I heard my father chuckle but decided I must have made it up. I couldn't figure out why he would think it was funny. The more attention I paid to them, the more obvious it became. Something had obviously changed in their relationship. They never fought anymore. On more than one occasion I saw her grab his hand or give him a look that said something that I couldn't understand. All I could see was that there was love in both of their eyes. I remember feeling betrayed by Leah, which was ridiculous of course. It only got worse when I finally worked up the nerve to ask her about it. I had convinced Joey to come to a bonfire at LaPush with me, from which Jacob was inexplicably absent. While the pack was busy interrogating him, I asked Leah to come take a walk with me.

"Joey seems… nice."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. He's great. Anyway Lea, there's something I really want to talk to you about."

"Of course, Ness. Anything."

"Why didn't you tell me Jake imprinted on you?"

"What? Renesmee what on EARTH…"

"It's ok, Leah. I know he imprinted. I overheard him talking to my mom about it. I mean I always knew he would eventually it's just… well I'm hurt Lea. You two are my best friends and it stings that you would keep something like this from me, that's all."

"Renesmee, you have no idea what you're talking about. He did not imprint on me!"

I almost believed her for half a second. "If he didn't imprint on you, then tell me who he did imprint on."

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She hung her head in defeat.

"I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Nessie, you have to believe me. He didn't imprint on me."

I searched her big brown eyes. "I know you, Leah. You're lying to me about something."

"Ness, you have to believe me!"

I stared at her coldly. "No. I don't."

After that, I grabbed Joey from the bonfire and we left. I thought for sure that Jacob would show up at my house the next day and yell at me for talking to his imprint that way. Instead, it was like he disappeared completely. He stopped trying to hang out with Joey and me. He stopped coming by the house, at least while I was there. I saw him sometimes in his wolf form on the edge of the woods outside of Grandma and Grandpa's and sometimes I thought I caught a glimpse of him outside my bedroom window at night but when I got up to check, he was nowhere to be seen. I was hurt in all honesty. I thought I meant more to him than that. I felt slightly abandoned. Instead of brooding on it, I threw myself into my relationship with Joey and it worked for a while. Then came the dreams.

It started about two weeks ago. Every night, I climb into bed and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I fall into a deep slumber. Then my mind is filled with intoxicating images of Jacob. It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so detailed. I'd never had dreams like these before. I mean I had had sex dreams before, mostly about a year ago when my body was adjusting to all the new hormones and what not. But they had never been like this. Most nights when I finally woke up, I would forget that they weren't real. On the rare occasion that I slept through the night, I would find myself trying to reach across the bed for Jake as I woke.

I would be lying if I said I'd never had feelings for Jake. He was my first crush. Given, my social pool was pretty limited, but still. How could a girl be expected to not have a crush on him? He's… well he's Jake. And in the eyes of a 4-year-old in a 12-year-old's body, he was perfect. I'd probably always think he was perfect. They say you never get over your first love. I wonder if it's the same with your first crush. I'm sure some part of that stays with you. Either way, even though I'd had feelings for him, I'd never thought of him like _that _until now.

What was worse, I'd never dreamed about Joey that way either. Occasionally, I would wonder what it would be like to sleep with him. I was fairly certain that we would eventually. It was sort of the next logical step in our relationship and we are a very logical couple after all. But I thought more of when it would be and where, or how I would manage to get away for a night without explaining everything to my parents. I didn't imagine the actual act of it the way I dreamed about Jake. I couldn't picture being like that with Joey and it made me feel awful. What was the point of thinking about Jacob like that when he can't even bother to talk to me? And now that he'd imprinted on Leah? And, of course, since I had a perfect boyfriend?

I looked back at my alarm clock. I groaned when I realized it was almost 4:30 a.m. I laid back down to go to sleep. Before I faded off to sleep, I resolved that I would go to the reservation tomorrow and confront Jake. These dreams had to stop and that was the only way I could think of to do it. But as I closed my eyes I found myself secretly hoping that I would dream of him…

**Please, please, pleaseeeee let me know what you guys think! This story is my first Fanfic and I'd really like to know how you all think I'm doing, even if you think it's bad! All criticism is helpful! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jacob's POV

The last two months have been absolute hell. I hate this guy with every fiber of my being. He gets under my skin like no one ever has before. He's worse than Edward used to be and that's saying something. I tried. For Nessie's sake, I really tried. After a week or so it became clear that this was actually happening. It stood to reason that if I wanted to be in Nessie's life, he would have to be in mine for the time being. I hung out with them a few times. I went to a party or two but decided that wasn't a good idea after I saw him shoving his tongue down her perfect throat. It's been a long time since I felt like I was going to lose control in front of people. I literally ran outside and it took a full 20 minutes to calm myself down. After that, I decided it might be better if I kept my distance.

Only with the whole imprint thing, it wasn't like I could be gone for long. To avoid problems, I mostly just stayed close enough to her in my wolf form so it wouldn't hurt me but at the same time I could stay out of her way. Every day it seemed clearer that she was serious about this guy. I really couldn't understand why. Sure, he was charming and he knew a lot about all of the sophisticated stuff that she liked that I had never understood. But when we were together, I didn't try and suppress that side of her. I let her talk to me about all of her fancy literature and music and art but I'd also make sure she knew how to get her hands dirty. My Nessie loved to be outside in the woods or in my garage helping me fix cars or my bike just as much as she loved being holed up in a library with a bunch of dusty books. I didn't get how she could be with someone who would try and bury a part of her.

My life was beginning to get pretty lonely. Bella was on my side, of course, but Nessie was still her daughter and she ultimately just wanted her to be happy. Edward liked me more than he liked what's-his-face but just barely. He certainly wasn't going to start trying to help me hatch up a plan to win his daughter. Not that I blamed him. He was a good father, for a bloodsucking leech that is. Oddly a few weeks in to all of this Leah, of all people, was the one to throw me a line. After the whole kissing incident, I was spending most of my time as a wolf. One day, she found me behind the Cullen's house waiting to make sure Nessie got home ok. She stood quietly beside me for a few minutes before turning to me.

"Jacob, I know how hard this is on you. For what it's worth, I think what your doing is amazing. I know what I said before but that was back when I was angry at the world and I said things to hurt people like I was hurting. But honestly, to let her have a choice even when you don't… I respect you for it. Especially since I've been on the wrong side of this whole imprinting thing already. You're my alpha but she's the best friend that I've had in a long time. I appreciate what you're doing for her. I know how much it's hurting you and how alone you've been feeling. You can't deny it. We share a mind. I just want you to know that even though I know this will be hard to believe, I can be a good friend. You don't have to bottle all this up and bear the burden on your own. I can be here for you if you'll let me. You don't have to say anything right now, just know that you have the option."

She turned to walk away, but I stepped in front of her and indicated that I wanted her to stay where she was. I went behind a tree to phase back into my human form and tugged on a pair of shorts. I walked back over to the spot where I had left her and for the first time ever I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight.

"Thank you," I whispered in her ear.

"Aw, come on Jacob. I know I said I'd be here for you but this might be too much," she complained jokingly.

I chuckled for the first time in weeks but I didn't let her go. We stood like that for a while. The human contact was nice after being a wolf for a few days. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the glint of copper hair as Nessie went back into the house. I felt like I got punched in the stomach when I realized I'd probably missed my only chance to see her for the day.

"Leah, seriously thank you. I'm gonna go on a quick run but I promise I'll come back after."

"You better. And tomorrow we're going up to the house. She's been wondering where you are and I don't know what to tell her anymore."

From then on, if I was going to see Nessie, I brought Leah with me but only because these days seeing Nessie meant seeing _him_. It sort of helped in a way. I always knew that there was someone who was inarguably without a doubt on my side. It was also soothing to know that that person was a wolf and if I decided to, oh I don't know, rip a certain someone to shreds, she would have my flank. It didn't make it much easier, but it did help a little.

Then Nessie decided to throw a real curve ball at me. She decided to bring _him_ to LaPush. For the second time in two months I thought I was going to lose control when I heard she was going to bring _him_ to a bonfire. A raging fire burned through my body and Sam and Paul both had to stop me from going wolf and taking off to go kill the guy. Eventually I calmed down. When the fire stopped burning, it left me feeling empty. I eventually realized that she was the one bringing him here. It wasn't like he was forcing himself on us. She was bringing him. It felt like the final blow to me. I decided that it would be better if I weren't there. I went on three-day wolf binge instead and ran almost the whole time. When I got back, I checked on Nessie through her bedroom window to make sure she was ok and ease the ache in my heart. When I finally got home, Leah was waiting for me. I went behind the house where I keep a pair of shorts to change into when I phase and met her back out front.

"Hey, Lea. Sorry I know I was gone for a few days but you knew I was ok. Don't get mad."

"I'm not mad Jake but we need to talk."

"Can it wait? I haven't showered in three days."

"Doesn't matter. It's that important."

I could tell she was serious. Leah's eyes have always been very expressive and it was clear that whatever she had to say was urgent.

"Ok, Leah. Come on. Let's go inside."

We went inside the little house I used to share with Billy. It had been three years since he passed away but being here made it feel like he could have been here three days ago. I still missed him but surprisingly being back in Forks and back on the reservation helped. I felt closer to him here.

I sat at the kitchen table while Leah paced in front of me.

"Seriously, Leah, what's going on? You're scaring me a little bit."

"Jake… when Ness was here for the bonfire… she asked me about your imprint."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"Leah, please tell me you didn't tell her…"

"Of course I didn't. I couldn't remember? You gave me an order ages ago that I couldn't tell her. But here's the real problem. She knew you had imprinted. She said she heard you talking to Bella a while back about it. Jake… she thinks it's me."

"What?" I laughed. "That's ridiculous! Why the hell would she think that?"

"She didn't say exactly. She just said that she knew it was me and she was hurt that we didn't tell her."

"But it's not you! What did you tell her?"

"I told her it wasn't me! But she didn't believe me. When I said it wasn't me, she asked me who it was and I told her that I couldn't tell her so she assumed I was lying."

For a split second I thought I wanted to be mad at Leah. Then I realized I had no one to blame but myself. I was the one who decided this needed to be a secret. I couldn't believe she had overheard my conversation with Bella. I didn't remember her being anywhere near us, not that it mattered. She had heard what was said. I wondered just how much…

I put my elbows on the table and held my head between my hands. What the hell was I supposed to do? I couldn't tell her that Leah wasn't my imprint without telling her who my imprint really was but I wasn't sure I was really ready to tell her. I didn't know if I could tell her knowing how happy she was with that stiff she was dating. I felt Leah come up behind me and rest her hands on my shoulders.

"I'm really sorry, Jacob. I tried but I honestly didn't know what to say. I didn't see it coming."

"I know, Lea," I sighed. "I don't blame you at all. If the situations were reversed I would've made a real mess of it."

"What can I do?"

I thought about that for a second before shaking my head.

"Nothing. Not right now at least. I've gotta come up with some sort of plan and I think I've gotta come up with it on my own. I'll let you know when I come up with something?"

She nodded and turned to leave.

"Leah?"

She looked back at me.

"Uh… I just wanted to say you were right. You are a good friend. I, uh, well I honestly don't know what I would do without you right now."

At that she smiled a genuine smile.

"Haven't you figured out yet, Jake? I'm always right."

With that she left me with my thoughts.

A little more than two weeks later, I still had no plan. I was getting desperate. Nessie was getting deeper into her relationship and I was getting pushed further and further out of her life. One morning, I woke up and resolved that it had reached the point where I needed to ask Bella. Nessie's mom or not, she would never deny her best friend advice when he really needed it. I had just put on my leather jacket when I heard a knock at the door. "That's odd," I thought to myself. "Leah never knocks anymore." I went and opened the front door but instead of Leah, I got something much better. Standing in front of me was the reason why I continued to draw air into my lungs. Only problem was she looked pissed.

"Jacob Black we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

**Shout out to ScorpiusRoseLover! Thanks for the review! I hope everyone else is enjoying it so far! **

**Stephanie Meyer is the best and all characters are her property. **

Chapter 5

Jacob's POV

In seven years, Nessie had never been mad at me. I'd seen her mad before. She threw some temper tantrums back in her day and even though I loved her more than life itself, even I have to admit that her preteen stage was pretty scary. Originally, Bella had been mad that I accidently nicknamed her baby after the Loch Ness Monster but Nessie certainly earned the title. Luckily with the whole rapid growth thing, it didn't last very long. We still like teasing her about it.

"Well come right in ma'am. But please oh great and powerful sea monster, don't destroy my humble abode. It's all I have after all."

"Don't even try and joke with me right now. Do you have ANY idea how mad I am at you?"

She stormed passed me into the house. I hesitated by the door before closing it and going into the kitchen. This was not going to be fun.

She marched through the kitchen into my small living room and I followed like a sad, wounded puppy. Even in her anger, she was beautiful. She had a way of making everything around her come to life. A few moments ago, the house had been silent as a tomb. The air had been stale and oddly suffocating. Now it was alive. It felt like a sea before the storm and though I dreaded whatever came next, I couldn't help but feel happy to be near her again. She stopped abruptly and wheeled around. I walked into her and reached out to steady myself, well really to steady her more than anything else. It was the first time I'd touched her in ages. My entire body came alive and it took all the self-restraint I had not to take her in my arms and kiss her. Judging by the way she looked at my hands on her arms that would not have been the right move. Instead I let my own arms fall helplessly to my sides as I prepared for what would come next.

"I'm assuming that Leah has already told you everything so would you like a chance to defend yourself first or should I just start?"

I opened my mouth to start but she interrupted me.

"Actually, I'm not even going to give you the chance. Jacob how could you? I don't mean the whole imprinting thing that I understand well enough. I get that you don't have any control over that. But how could you not tell me? You're my best friend in the entire world and I thought I was yours. How could you keep something like this from me? And even worse, how could you just toss me aside after you did? Don't interrupt me I'm not done. Let me say everything I want to say and then you can talk. I always knew you would imprint on someone someday. I always dreaded it because I never wanted to have to share you with anyone but I was prepared for it. I get that she's your whole reason for living now or whatever but I just don't understand how that can mean that I don't have a place in your life anymore. I mean I know that's what happened with Sam and Leah and Emily but I just figured that this would be different. I thought that what we have, or had, would make it different. I thought that maybe you could still have a little something left for me and our friendship. I know I should be more reasonable and understanding or whatever but… Jake you left me. I've been so alone. I've lost both of my best friends because of this and I just don't understand." She was losing steam and her eyes were filling with tears. "You've been my whole world my entire life, Jake. I don't know who I am without you. I feel like I'm missing a huge part of myself and you're the only one who can give it back. I understand that things have to be different now and I can learn to deal with that eventually. I just can't live with not having you in my life at all." The tears were flowing freely now down her beautiful, angelic face. "Please, Jake. Please tell me that you can find just a little room for me in your heart. I don't need much, I swear. At this point I'll take what I can get. Just tell me there's something left for me."

I stood in front of her in complete awe. I could tell that my mouth was hanging open but I couldn't remember how to close it. My heart had never felt so whole listening to her say the words but at the same time it was breaking into a million pieces watching her cry. My brain was working in overdrive.

"This would be an appropriate time to say something, Jacob."

A million things crossed my mind. Where was I supposed to start? Do I start by telling her that I didn't imprint on Leah? But then I would have to tell her that I imprinted on her. Should I skip the Leah thing and just tell her that I imprinted on her? Was I ready for that? Was she? My mouth was still open and my brain finally figured out how to close it. I swallowed a huge lump in my throat and was about to start talking but apparently the whole process had taken longer than I realized.

"It's… it's ok, Jake. I get it. I'm sorry for making the situation worse. God, I must look so pathetic. The last thing you need right now is some kid blubbering in front of you like a big baby. I'm ruining your newfound bliss or whatever it is you've been feeling lately. I'll go. I won't bother you again. I-I-I'm so sorry."

She hung her head and started to make her way for the door. My moronic brain finally started to regain control of my body and I grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip. She looked at my hand on her arm and then up at my face, the shock apparent on her face. I pulled her closer to me and stared deep into those deep, chocolate brown eyes that I loved so much. They were still filled with tears so I took her face between my hands and brushed the tears away. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into my palms while clutching to my right hand like her life depended on it. I couldn't take it anymore. My self-control went right out the window. I tilted her chin up towards me with my left hand, placed my right hand on the small of her back, and kissed her.

She pulled away from me too soon. I expected to see a look of disgust on her face but when I looked, I got something so much better. There were many emotions. This time, it was her mouth opened in shock. Hers looked much pretty than mine did. She formed a perfect "O" with her beautiful, pink lips. There was the familiar flush of embarrassment on her cheeks and it was spreading to her perfect, little ears. That only happened when she was extremely overwhelmed. But my favorite part of the whole picture was her eyes. The tears were all gone and there was a hint of confusion. But the confusion was nothing compared to what else I saw. Her pupils were dilated so that the chocolate brown was a faint ring. They were hungry, filled with… lust.

And then the most amazing thing in the world happened.

She kissed me back.

**Forewarning: Next chapter is super super lemony so brace yourself ;) as always, love reviews/follows! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews mythicalbard and kayjude! So glad you like it and thank you so much for the positive feedback!**

**Forewarning: This chapter is one big fat juicy lemon and not for the faint of heart. You have been warned.**

**All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer**

Chapter 6

Renesmee's POV

10 minutes ago I was being consumed by uncontrollable rage. 5 minutes ago I was overwhelmed by a crushing sense of loss and depression. Then Jacob touched me and it all dissolved into thin air. I had never understood what it was about Jacob but when he touched me, the sky could be falling on top of my head and it wouldn't matter because he was there. I felt gravity lose its overbearing hold on me and in that moment I knew that everything was going to be ok. My heart felt lighter than it had in months. I wasn't going to lose him to Leah forever. He still had a part of himself left for me. That was more than I could ever hope to ask for. Then he kissed me.

In one kiss, I got everything that I knew had been missing. It was nothing like what I'd read about in all my books. It wasn't butterflies and fireworks. It was electricity. It was heat. Until that moment, I don't think I was ever really alive. There was a current flowing through me. It started in my heart and radiated to every other part of my body. I thought for sure that my body couldn't withstand much more. I reluctantly tore my lips away from his mouth and looked up at him. His lips were slightly swollen from our kiss. His shoulders heaved as he tried to gather the oxygen that we both had forgotten we needed until just now. I looked into his eyes and saw what I had been longing for. Passion. Red hot, uncontrollable, desire-driven passion. He had never looked more beautiful to me in my entire life.

I craved more. I needed more. I wrapped my arms around his neck and crashed my lips into his once more.

Jacob's POV

She was holding on to my neck as if her life depended on it. I had her wrapped so tightly in my arms I thought for sure I would break her in half. I let my hands slide up her back and she parted her lips slightly to let out a moan. I slipped my tongue into her mouth and explored. I had never tasted anything so delicious in my life. Not to be outdone, Ness began to fight my tongue with her own. There wasn't an inch of our bodies that weren't touching and yet it wasn't close enough. I lifted her up and carried her into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us. I pinned her up against the door and continued the assault on her lips. Eventually, I couldn't be satisfied with just her mouth. I wanted more. I broke contact and started trailing kisses across her cheek and down towards her neck. I nipped and sucked until I found a spot that made her moan. She tilted her head back to give me more access to the beautiful skin and arched her back. When she did, she tightened her legs around my waist and thrust her hips downwards and hit my erection, which was rock hard at that point. I hadn't realized until then just how tight my pants were getting and I let out a low growl. I looked up at her face. Her eyes were glowing with excitement. She whispered sexily,

"Bed. Now"

I didn't waste any time. I carried her over to my full sized bed and laid her gently in the middle. I started to climb on top of her to continue exploring her body with my lips when she flipped me over and pinned me.

"My turn," she said with a mischievous smile.

I was a little shocked by the turn of events but I certainly wasn't about to complain once she swung an elegant, long leg over my body and straddled me. She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled it towards her, indicating she wanted me to sit up. I willingly obliged. She placed her soft, cool hands on my hips and began travelling upward taking my shirt with her. My torso tingled wherever she touched me. I lifted my arms so she could take it off completely. Then she just stared. I could feel myself blush as she did. I wasn't used to having someone look at me like that. She placed her hands on my bear shoulders, then my chest, my abs, moving down, down, down…

I decided it wasn't fair that I was the only one without a shirt on. I repeated the teasingly slow process of removing her old white t-shirt. Correction, MY old white t-shirt. She was wearing a shirt I had let her borrow ages ago. As the realization dawned on me, I felt a smile in my heart that must have reflected on my face because she gave me a quizzical look. I just shook my head at her and continued on with my task. Slowly but surely I revealed more and more silky white skin. I loved the look of her pale body underneath my dark, rough hands. As my hands traced up her sides, her breathing quickened and she unconsciously arched her body closer to mine. I finally peeled the t-shirt over her head and it was my turn to stare. Her skin doesn't sparkle in the sun like her parents, but she looked like she was glowing. Her stomach was perfectly toned and flat. Her skin was absolutely flawless. Her breasts were full but perky and rose and fell lightly with her breath. She was absolutely perfect.

I pulled her close to me and began kissing her again. The feel of her body against my bear chest was tantalizing. She was still sitting in my lap straddling me and she began to grind herself against me as we kissed. We both let out a moan and I let my lips travel down her neck and reached her breasts. As I sucked one of her supple nipples between my lips and massaged the other breast with my hand, she reached down and unbuckled my belt and unzipped my jeans. I felt myself let out a sigh of relief as my erection was released from the ever tightening restraint of my pants. She chuckled at my reaction and I couldn't have her laughing at me so I flipped us back over so she was underneath me and stared deeply into her eyes. She wasn't laughing anymore.

I kissed her lips again. I don't think I could ever get enough of those lips. I started making my way farther down her body. This time, I didn't stop at her breasts, though I did pay attention to both as I made my descent down her body. When I reached her naval, I hooked my fingers underneath her leggings and tugged them down her body. I was between her thighs and looked up at her for approval. She looked right back at me, waiting. I slid her panties down her long legs and gazed upon the prize before me. Her scent was intoxicating. She was literally dripping wet and it was all for me. I breathed her in deeply and exhaled. She whimpered as my breath made contact with her and looked at me impatiently. I decided not to keep her waiting any longer and licked her wet slit from bottom to top. Nessie literally cried out in ecstasy as I sucked at her swollen clit. I gently worked a finger deep inside her, the two, then three. I pumped steadily in and out of her never removing my mouth from her clit. She was writhing now. Her hips rose to match my hands and her moans filled my room. I could tell she was close then she suddenly reached down and grabbed my wrist to stop my movements. I looked up at her, confused. She reached down and touched my face, gently.

"As great as that was, I don't want the first time you make me… cum," she blushed at the word, "to be by your hands. I want us to do it together."

I looked at her, my eyes dead serious.

"Nessie, are you sure?"

She nodded her head slowly and began sliding my jeans down. I inhaled sharply as I was finally rid of the damn things and helped her take them the rest of the way off. I hovered above her and looked at her lying beneath me. For the hundredth time that day I was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. Her hair was splayed out around her head on the pillow. Her lips were swollen from all of our kissing. There were marks on her neck from where I might've bitten just a little too hard. Her eyes were full of apprehension and passion and what I thought looked a lot like love but I was sure I was imagining it. I decided not to focus as much on the look in her eyes and more on what was about to happen. I stroked the side of her face with one hand and supported my weight with the other on the mattress.

"Are you ready?"

She grabbed at my back trying to pull me closer to her. I chuckled at her eagerness. I continued to stroke her face as I slowly guided myself inside her.

I felt her cringe as I broke her barrier. Her pretty face scrunched up in pain and I felt her sink her nails into my back. I whispered apology after apology in her ear. I hated that I was hurting her. I hated myself even more because I was feeling fantastic. I waited patiently for her to relax and promised her as soon as she was ready that I would make her feel so good. Finally I felt her relax and she nodded that I could move. It took all of the self-restraint I had not to just slam into her but I knew I could never do anything that would hurt her. Instead I moved slowly in and out, creating an easy, steady rhythm. Little by little she continued to relax and I could feel her beginning to enjoy herself.

"Jacob, please. More."

I allowed myself to pick up the pace. The pleasure was unparalleled. I had never felt this good in my entire life. Being inside her, being connected to her like that, felt more right than anything ever had. I felt as if I could stay there forever.

Nessie was panting now.

"Oh, God. Jacob. Baby just a little deeper. Oh, Jake, harder. Jake," she looked deep into my eyes, "don't hold back. Please, Jake. I can take it."

I could never deny Nessie anything even if I tried. I certainly wasn't going to start now. I let my instincts take over and picked up the pace. I slammed into her over and over again. She was screaming my name now at the top of her lungs. I heard a loud growl and was surprised to realize that it came from me. I was absolutely euphoric and close to finishing.

"Nessie, I'm close. I want you to finish with me. Can you do that?"

She nodded at me and continued to match my movements with a renewed vigor.

"That's it baby. Oh, fuck, Ness I'm so close. You make me feel so fucking good. Come on baby, cum for me."

At that I reached down and massaged her clit. She screamed and I felt her walls clench around me.

"JACOB!"

"Renesmee," I sighed as I finally finished inside her.

I collapsed from exhaustion on top of her. We were a tangled, heaving, sweaty pile of limbs. I kissed the tip of her nose and rolled off of her and took her in my arms. I knew in a minute that we would have to deal with the consequences of what had just happened. I knew in a minute, Nessie would remember the reason why she came here in the first place. She would want answers to the questions she had asked and probably have new questions as well. But right now I wanted to enjoy this. For just a few seconds, I wanted to lie here with the girl I loved and hold her in my arms and pretend that everything was going to be ok. Just for a few seconds…


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the continued follows/favorites/reviews, guys! I got a lot of writing done yesterday so I've got a couple chapters to throw at you! Be sure to let me know what you think!**

**All characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer **

Chapter 7

Jacob's POV

We laid there in each other's arms for a while. I played with her hair while she gently stroked my arm. Neither of us said anything, both afraid for what would come when we had to break the silence. The spell was broken by her ringing cell phone. She reluctantly untangled herself from my arms. "Might be my mom," she explained. "Or worse, your dad," I joked. She smiled as she felt around the pile of our clothes for her phone. Her face changed as soon as she saw who it was on her caller i.d. and I knew it was him. "It's ok. You can take it. I don't mind." She blushed and got out of my bed to distance herself from me while she talked to him.

"Hey, Joey. What's up?"

"Hey, baby," I could hear him through the phone. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, me? Umm no-nothing. I'm not up to much of anything."

She couldn't look me in the eye as she said it. She had turned her back to me and was starting to put her clothes back on. I sighed in disappointment. The hatred I had for this guy before was nothing compared to how much I hated him now for ruining our moment. I reached for my boxers and put them on but nothing more.

"Are you feeling ok? You sound weird."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess."

I scoffed at that and she shushed me violently. I put my hands behind my head and leaned against my headboard.

"Oh I'm sorry babe. Well you better get a nap in. We've got a big date tonight remember?"

"Right our anniversary dinner. Of course I remember. How could I forget?"

It was evident that she had forgotten. I felt just a little smug and couldn't help but smirk. She was not as amused.

"Are you going to be up for it? I mean we can always reschedule if you're not feeling well."

"What? No, don't be silly! I'm excited for it! I'm just going to take a little nap and I'll be good as new. What time are you picking me up?"

"Does 5:00 give you enough time?"

"Yes. That's perfect. I'll see you then."

"Can't wait babe."

With that they hung up. I couldn't help but notice that they hadn't said I love you. Maybe I still had a shot.

Nessie turned back around to face me. Somehow, she had managed to get her panties and her bra and shirt back on. She sat on the edge of the bed to put her leggings back on. I sat up and lightly kissed her shoulder.

"That's my shirt, you know."

She sat still as a statue for a moment. I could tell she was debating whether to fall into my embrace or pick herself up. To my disappointment, she chose the latter.

"Well I sort of need it right now, but I'll be sure to get it back to you."

She stood up and finished pulling up her leggings. She bent over, picked my shirt up off the ground, and threw it at me.

"Put this on. We still need to talk."

I sighed and obliged. When I poked my head out through the hole of my shirt I saw that she was sitting in my desk chair across the room from me. I sat on the edge of my bed and rested my arms on my legs.

"Where would you like to start?"

"Let's start with Leah."

"Ness," I sighed with frustration. "Leah was telling you the truth. I swear to you Nessie, I did not imprint on Leah. She's just been… helping me through it."

"Well if it isn't Leah, who is it?"

The door was open. An opportunity had presented itself. I could tell her. But just as I was about to tell her everything, something stopped me. I thought about what we had just done, what we had just shared. It had been so perfect and it hadn't been because of magic or imprinting or any of the other nonsense that we dealt with on a daily basis. It had been perfect because it was just her and me, just us, nothing more, nothing less. I didn't want to taint that with the imprint talk. I didn't want her to think that that had anything to do with what we just did. Now wasn't the time. It could wait. So I lied.

"I can't tell you," she started to roll her eyes at me, "because she doesn't know yet. I haven't told her and until she knows it doesn't seem right to tell anyone else. Even you, Ness."

"Oh. That makes sense I guess. But then why does Leah know?"

"That was an accident." Another lie. "I was running one day and I was so stressed by it that I didn't notice her phase and she heard everything. Oddly enough, she sympathized with me and she's been helping me out ever since. I gave her an order that she couldn't tell anyone about my imprint so that's why she couldn't tell you who it was."

It occurred to me that I was digging myself quite a hole by lying to Ness like this but for the time being it was unavoidable. I could deal with the repercussions later.

Nessie was quiet for a moment and was staring contemplatively into space. It was taking everything in me to not get up and take her into my arms. All I really wanted was to feel her lips on me again. But it was clear that she wasn't done so instead I braced myself for whatever came next.

"If you imprinted on someone," she said quietly, "how were we able to do what we just did."

I thought about that for a moment.

"Imprinting… doesn't automatically mean that you have romantic feelings for someone. Think about Claire and Quil. He imprinted on her when she was just a baby. He didn't fantasize about her or anything. He knew he would fall in love with her eventually but not until it was what she needed. And more importantly, the imprint doesn't necessarily have to fall in love with the person who imprinted on them. Right now, I'm waiting to see if she loves me for me and not because she feels like she has to," I was a little nervous that I was giving too much away. But it felt good to tell her things at the same time.

"Oh, Jake. I'm so sorry. That sounds awful. And it's incredibly noble of you. She's… she's really lucky."

For a second, I thought she sounded jealous. I couldn't tell if it was real or just my imagination, but I was almost positive that it was there. Before I had much more time to contemplate it, she was standing up and pacing.

"So what does this mean for what we just did?"

"Well, what do you want it to mean, Ness?"

She stopped in her tracks.

"What do you mean what do I want it to mean?"

"I mean I'm putting the ball in your court. You're the one who's in a relationship right now."

I knew the second that the words left my mouth that they were the wrong ones. Her expression completely changed into a look of dread and horror.

"Oh my God. I cheated on Joe! Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. How could I? This is terrible! Shit what am I going to do?"

Her pacing had quickened and she was wringing her hands. Her eyebrows were furrowed and a crease had appeared in her forehead. She looked so upset and so stressed. I hated that I was the cause of it. I stood up and grabbed her by her shoulders to make her stop pacing.

"That's what I'm asking you, Ness. What do you want to do?"

She looked up at me with eyes filled with tears.

"I-I-I honestly don't know."

I felt my heart sink at her response. A part of me was really hoping she would say that she wanted me; that this was going to be our big moment. We would reveal our love for one another and then go start living happily ever after or whatever. But she was still conflicted. That really hurt. I didn't understand how she could still be unsure after what we had just done. Unless…

"Do you love him?"

She looked at me, taken aback. "Wha-wha-what?"

"You heard me, Ness. Do you love him?"

"I don't know," she whispered helplessly.

I was about to pull her close to me and hold her when she fired up again.

"Why does it matter? You're going to love her eventually even if you don't right now. And then what does that mean for me if she doesn't choose you? Am I supposed to just be some consolation prize?"

I had known I would pay a price for lying to her but I hadn't foreseen it coming back to bite me in the ass quite this soon. Before I could figure out a way to get out of it, she was already visibly checked out of the conversation.

"Joe is going to be at my house in a few hours. I need to go home and get ready."

"Let me take you home. You look exhausted. I don't want you to get hurt trying to drive home."

"No, Jake. Stay. I'll be fine I promise. I think I need some space right now."

I inadvertently took a step back.

"Ok, Ness. Take whatever you need. I'll give you anything."

My words seemed to have some affect on her because she turned her face away from me for just a moment. She turned to leave and started to walk away when she suddenly turned around and ran into my arms. I held her for what seemed like forever while she cried. We both knew that everything would be different now. We both had some major decisions to make and it would affect our lives, as we knew them. I never wanted to let go.

All too soon she peeled herself away from me. She gave me a small smile then turned and walked away. And being the moron that I am, I let her go.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Renesmee's POV

I turned over in my bed and looked at my alarm clock. I had gotten home from Jake's house at around 1:30 and had immediately retreated to my room. It was now 3:00. I'd been trying to sleep since I got home but had spent the entire hour and a half staring at my ceiling. Frustrated, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and shed my clothes to get in. Joe would be here in an hour and a half to take me to dinner and I had to start getting ready. Once under the hot water, I felt my body relax just a little. I closed my eyes and let the water calm me. But as I started washing my hair and my body, I kept imagining that it was Jacob's hands all over me instead of my own. I closed my eyes and leaned against the shower wall. I began rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, my scalp tingling as I massaged it. I imagined it was Jake tracing patterns in my skin down my neck, my collarbone, my chest. It was Jake squeezing my breast in his big, rough palm and tugging lightly on my nipple. It was Jake moving down, down, down… I snapped my eyes open and tried to banish the thoughts. I couldn't be thinking of one man when another was on his way to take me out on a romantic dinner date. I resolved to not think about Jake for the rest of the night.

By the time I got out of the shower, it was 4:00 and I had to hurry. I bustled around my room trying to find the right outfit, do my hair, and get my makeup done. I was just applying some finishing touches when I heard the doorbell ring. 5:00 on the dot. I did love his punctuality. I rushed downstairs. I was suddenly anxious to see him, as if being with him now would erase everything that had happened this afternoon. I saw him in the living room chatting with my parents and I couldn't get to him fast enough.

"Hi, babe!" I greeted him warmly and rushed into his arms. My mother looked confused and my father looked… well he looked like he was going to be sick. It hadn't occurred to me to be more cautious about my thoughts in front of him. I gave him an apologetic look as a helplessly clung to Joe like my life depended on it.

"Oh well hello there, gorgeous. Nice to see you, too. Are you ready to go?"

I nodded up at him eagerly. I was especially excited to get out of the house now that my father knew what he did. I could feel my face burning.

"Alright. Well Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, I'll have her back to you by midnight. Have a good night."

"Yes, you kids have fun now. We'll see you when you get home my love," replied my mother."

"Yes, indeed we shall," my father mumbled.

My mother gave him a look and I could tell they were communicating without words again.

"Yeah guys we'll see you later. Don't wait up!"

I grabbed Joe by the hand and dragged him outside.

"Well that was a little weird, Ren. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine! Just excited! So where are you taking me?"

We got into his car and started driving. He hadn't told me where we were going but I figured we would probably just go to dinner and a movie in Port Angeles. So when we passed the small town and kept driving, I was surprised. I looked at Joe with a confused look and he chuckled at me.

"I thought maybe we could do something special tonight. Don't worry your parents are in on it too. They know we won't be back by midnight."

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see."

We ended up in Seattle around 8:30. Joe had gotten us reservations at a new fancy French restaurant that I had been dying to try. We had a lovely dinner filled with great conversation. Afterwards, he surprised me with theater tickets to a stage production of _Pride and Prejudice_, my favorite book. We finished off the night getting coffee and chocolates in a small chic café and watched all the people walk by from our window seat. All in all, it was a perfect night. We talked and laughed and for a little while, I forgot all about Jake and the afternoon. This was just so easy. I knew he liked me and I did like him. He was good company and he obviously got me. He had planned this great romantic evening filled with things he knew I would love. Maybe what I had felt with Jake was a fluke. Even if it wasn't maybe it wasn't right to feel that much passion for one person. Who needed passion when you had good old romance? Who said you needed both. Maybe I could be happy with one and not the other. I thought about all this as we walked hand and hand down the streets of Seattle, aimlessly wandering. He had been right. It was nice to get out of Forks and do something a little different. Everything about tonight felt fresh. Maybe I wouldn't have to tell Joe about my little indiscretion. Maybe, I could just decide right here and now to put all of the Jacob stuff behind me and recommit myself to this relationship. It was good. I owed it to Joe and to myself to try and see it through.

I suddenly realized that Joe had stopped walking. I turned around to see him holding my hand and staring at me. I wondered if maybe I had missed something important during my daydream so I smiled at him, puzzled. He took a deep breath, indicating I hadn't missed anything yet.

"Ren, I've been wanting to say this for a while and I tried to make tonight as perfect as I possibly could. We've been together for 5 months now and they've been some of the happiest months of my life. You make me so… just happy. It's easy with you, you know? It feels comfortable and just right."

He pulled me close and put his arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck expecting a kiss. Instead, he kept talking.

"Alright, I'm just going to say it. Ok. Here goes. Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I love you."

Then he kissed me.

And yet again, I felt nothing.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Renesmee's POV

I sat in a chair facing Aunt Alice's vanity while she and Aunt Rosalie did my hair and make up. It was the day of prom and I honestly think they were more excited than I was. The two of them were happily chatting about something as I sat there and smiled pleasantly as they painted my face and tugged at my hair. I was only half there. I'd been feeling that was a lot lately.

It had been two weeks since Joe had told me he loved me. I replayed the night in my mind. After we had kissed, I wasn't sure what to do. I had smiled and acted all happy, but I hadn't said I love you. Luckily, he didn't ask me to. Apparently the kiss had been enough for him. But was it enough for me? While I had been debating my feelings for Joe, I was also trying to decide what I felt for Jacob. After what had happened that day, it was impossible for me to deny any longer that I had feelings for him. I had never felt so close to someone in my life, and not just in the literal sense. It was as if we could read each other's minds. During the whole thing, we barely talked but we could sense perfectly exactly what the other person needed. It only dawned on me later that I hadn't felt scared or uncomfortable at all while I was with Jake. A lot of girls who I went to school with talked about how there were awkward moments when they did it for the first time or how they'd been so nervous they'd made some awkward blunder or another. With Jake it was perfect. I had felt safe. I had felt loved.

It was hard for me to understand how two different guys could make me feel so right in such different ways. Joe appreciated a sophisticated side of me. As much as I loved my family and understood the limitations they were under, I sometimes hated that we were always in such secluded boring towns. Joe liked the finer things in life. He liked the city and the theater and fine dining. We could talk about literature and art and music and politics and immerse ourselves in a life filled with culture and sophistication. Jacob couldn't offer that. But on the other hand, I would be lying if I said that those sorts of things were the only things that mattered to me in life. I would never be a hoity-toity type. In my heart, I still loved hiking and cliff diving and bonfires under a cloudless star encrusted sky would always be more romantic to me than dinner at a fancy restaurant. Not many people knew it, but I had a secret love for comic books and superheroes. I do love classical music, but it's a Springsteen CD in my car, not Debussy. Joe didn't know that side of me. The only people who really knew that side of me were my mom and… Jacob. At the end of the day those were the kinds of things that made me who I was. A part of me was Jake. But at the same time, I had never shown Joe that side of me before. I couldn't say that he wouldn't appreciate those things too. But I was reluctant to share that with him. Deep down I knew the reason wasn't that I was afraid he would reject those parts of me, but that I didn't want to open that part of myself up to him because those were the parts that had always belonged to Jacob. If I didn't keep that for Jake, then what else would I have left that was just ours? But then, why did I care about sharing something with Jake? At the end of the day, he wasn't a real option for me. Even though I was with someone else now, that was nothing compared to the fact he had imprinted on someone. I could love him with all my heart (not saying that I did) and it wouldn't matter because biologically, he would need someone else. I didn't want to play second fiddle to some other girl. I either wanted all of Jake or I would have none of him. For some reason, it wasn't making it any easier.

I noticed that the chatter around me had stopped and Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie were staring at me. Neither of them was touching me anymore and they both looked extremely concerned. I started to ask what was wrong but stopped when I looked in the mirror. There was mascara running down my face. I hadn't realized I was crying.

"Alice I am such an idiot! You'll never believe this, but I left Renesmee's dress at the shop after we closed today. I can't believe it. Would you mind running in to town and getting it? I'm so sorry!"

It was a thinly veiled attempt to get some alone time with me on Aunt Rosalie's part but I appreciated it all the same. I loved Aunt Alice but Aunt Rosalie and I have always had a special connection. Aunt Alice is my fun aunt who I go to when I want to do something reckless or I didn't want my parents to find out about something. Aunt Rosalie was like a second mother. She gave the best advice and loved to baby and coddle me.

"Yeah, sure Rose I'll go. Be back in a flash."

Alice left and Rosalie walked over to the vanity and grabbed a tissue. She gently began removing the makeup from my face. I was a little relieved honestly. Alice's style was a little too over the top for me. When all of the smudges were gone she leaned against the vanity and looked at me.

"So would you like to tell me what's going on?"

I told her everything. I told her about my relationship with Joe and all of the complications with Jacob. I told her about the afternoon that Jacob and I had spent together and everything it meant to me. I told her about my anniversary with Joe and how I felt like my heart and my head were shattered into a million pieces. She listened patiently and quietly without remarking on anything until I was done. She raised an eyebrow when I talked about Jake and his imprint but kept her mouth shut. It was no secret that Rosalie wasn't exactly fond of Jacob. Their relationship had improved remarkably over the years but they were never overly friendly unless I was in the room.

When I finished my story she began priming my face to reapply my makeup. I closed my eyes and let her work her magic.

"You know Renesmee, before I met your Uncle Emmett I endured my fair share of love triangles."

I believed it. Aunt Rosalie was gorgeous even by vampire standards. I had always been jealous of her pale blond hair and striking features.

"I came up with a kind of test to decide which man I admired more. Given, I never had to figure out which one I loved. I didn't experience any of that in my human years."

Rosalie had told me her horrific story when my body had started to come of age to warn me against men who wanted the wrong sorts of things. Needless to say, it worked. I could barely look at a guy for weeks after she told me.

"I want you to clear your mind. Don't think about anything. Concentrate on the sound of my voice or the silence of the room. Just relax. Take a few deep breaths."

I did as she said and was feeling more peaceful than I had in weeks. I loved the calm sound of her voice. I listened to the flap of a bird's wings outside and the light breeze in the trees. I let everything go and felt calm and serene.

"Now, keep your eyes closed and say I love you."

"I love you," I whispered.

"Open your eyes, Renesmee."

I let my eyes flutter open and adjust to the light. She was standing in front of me leaned against the vanity with her arms crossed.

"Did you picture one or the other when you said it?"

I nodded.

"I saw…"

"Oh I don't need to know who you saw, though I'm pretty sure I have a good idea. What matters is that now you know and now you can do something about it. They'll both be here in a few hours."

I blinked up at her. I didn't know that Jake was coming over. I'd barely seen him the past two weeks.

"And neither of them are going to be able to take their eyes off of you."

She stepped away from the vanity and let me look at myself in the mirror. I was shocked by my own appearance. My hair was pinned up and loose curls framed my face. Rosalie had expertly contoured my face. Instead of the garish dark colors that Alice had used, my eyes were highlighted with dusty shades of purple that brought out my chocolate eyes. My lips were a light pink that complimented the blush on my cheeks. I felt beautiful.

I grabbed her hand that was resting on my shoulder.

"Aunt Rosalie. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my love. Now lets finish getting you ready."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you Roxierocks23 for your review and to everyone else for your continued follows and favorites! As always, I'm extremely grateful for all of your support! It's been a crazy week so sorry I haven't been updating as often as usual. I'm finally going to have some free time over the next couple days so I should be able to write more often! Enjoy!**

**All characters are property of Stephanie Meyer**

Chapter 10

Jacob's POV

I parked my bike outside the garage of Carlisle and Esme's house. It was the day of Nessie's prom and everyone was gathered to take pictures. I had taken my bike instead of running in an attempt to look nice for the occasion. I'd even put in a little effort and worn a button up instead of a t-shirt. I hadn't really seen Ness since our afternoon together. I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to do. A part of me felt like a coward for not coming to see her but at the same time, she had said she needed space and she hadn't come to see me either. I also happened to know that she wasn't asking what's-his-name for any space so I had kind of taken that as a sign. I wasn't even really planning on coming until yesterday when Bella showed up at my house.

I didn't have any big plans for the day so I had slept in late. I was woken up by an angry Bella slamming my door open and assaulting me with a pillow.

"What the…? Bells? Hey! Ow! That hurts quit it!"

"I'll stop hitting you when you stop acting like an idiot."

I finally managed to rip the pillow from her hand, though we ripped the pillow in half in the process.

"Great I really liked that one. You owe me a new pillow."

She rolled her eyes at me, clearly annoyed. She tossed the remaining scraps of my pillow on the ground and glared at me.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you in two weeks and considering what you did to my daughter…"

I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

"She told you about that?"

"Of course not. Don't be an idiot. But it's all she's been thinking about for weeks. Edward's ready to rip his hair out."

I smirked a little at the idea of getting under Edward's skin. Then I shuddered when I realized all of the things he had seen. No father should ever have to endure that, not even a bloodsucker.

"Exactly. It's funny until you really think about it."

Even after everything that had happened between us, Bella still knew me better than anyone else. I liked that she understood how my brain worked.

She was apparently done attacking me for the time being and flopped on to my bed.

"Ok, so we promised a long time ago that we would stay friends no matter what. Obviously, you imprinting on and being in love with my daughter has complicated things. So here's the deal. I'm going to be your friend for half of this conversation and then I'm going to be my daughter's mother for the other half. Which would you prefer I be first?"

I laughed at that. I knew she was being serious but it was honestly just too ridiculous when you said it out loud. My laughter was contagious and pretty soon she was in hysterics with me. We laughed until our ribs hurt and there were tears in our eyes. We finally managed to pull ourselves together and she sat next to me propped up against the headboard. She rested her head on my shoulder and I put my head on top of hers.

"Oh Bells," I sighed, "How the hell did we end up here?"

"I ask myself that question quite often actually," she chuckled. "Only when I ask it's more in awe of how wonderful my life ended up whereas in your case…"

"Yeah, yeah, no need to rub it in," I said as I elbowed her in the ribs.

I took a deep breath. "I honestly never thought I'd be in a situation like this again. I thought it was supposed to be smooth sailing from here you know? I know I always said that I would let her choose but I never really thought about what I would do if she didn't choose me. No offense, but I used to think that nothing could hurt more than when you chose Edward over me. This is…so much worse."

"Yeah. I have a couple of things to say about all of that."

She lifted her head and looked me straight in the eye.

"First of all, what makes you think that she's chosen him?"

"Uh she's going to prom with him? She's still dating him?"

"Hm. Ok. Well once upon a time I told you that Edward was the love of my life and that didn't stop you from kissing me. Twice."

"Yeah because that worked out so well for me."

"Seriously Jake. You fought for me. And I know the Renesmee means way more to you than I ever did. So what the hell are you doing?"

I thought about it for a second.

"Maybe I've smartened up after what happened with us. My way didn't work last time. I'm…"

"You're afraid to put yourself out there again," she sighed. "I did a number on you didn't I?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I said rolling my eyes. "But you're right. I'm scared to ask her to love me because I'm terrified of the answer."

"Oh, Jake." She put her head back on my shoulder. "No one ever got the love of their life without asking first."

I let her words sink in. She was right of course but I still wasn't sure what to do. Was I supposed to break them up? I wasn't even sure that I could. Was I supposed to wait out their relationship? But who knew how long they would be together? Obviously they couldn't end up together she was immortal as far as we knew and the Cullen's couldn't change him without breaking the agreement with the pack. Bella had been an exception because of Nessie but that didn't mean that the pack would overlook another discrepancy. But still, they could be together long enough for me to get pushed out of the picture. Just because Nessie had feelings for me now didn't mean they would last forever if I never got an opportunity to act on them.

Bella had been inexplicably silent while I contemplated all of this. She removed her head from my shoulder and stood in front of my bed.

"I have to get home. Renesmee should be getting back soon and I don't want to explain to her where I've been. It would kill her to know that I'd seen you and she hasn't." I felt a wave of guilt crash over me at that. "Just think about what I said and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, Jacob, tomorrow. We're having pictures at the house remember?"

"Bells, I don't know if I should…"

"Jacob Black. I spared you from the second half of the conversation we were supposed to have. In return you will be at the house tomorrow for those pictures for two reasons. First, if you make me attend one of Alice's extravaganzas without you I will have to kill you." Neither of us had quite gotten used to Alice's over the top events but we both loved her too much to deny her anything. Instead, we made a point to stick close and make sarcastic remarks about all of the lavish absurdities that Alice incorporated into every little thing. Unfortunately, we accidently passed that on to Nessie. "Second, and most important, it will break Renesmee's heart if you're not there. It's an important night for her and you've never missed a milestone in her life. If you break my daughter's heart then I'll have no choice but to kill you, best friend or not."

I laughed. "Alright, alright Bells I'll be there. Don't have a cow."

"Good."

She smiled and turned to leave.

"Oh and Jake?"

I looked over at her in the doorway.

"What I said about breaking Renesmee's heart? That doesn't just apply to tomorrow."

"I'd never be stupid enough to think it would."

**P.S. If you like my story, you have to go check out mythicalbard's When Dreams Come True. It's a different take on Jacob and Nessie and I love love love it! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jacob's POV

So here I was standing outside the Cullen house with my heart beating wildly in my chest. I took a few deep breaths to try and calm it down. All of the leeches would be able to hear it and I was certain that Emmett would make a comment. I felt a feeling of calm enter my body and recognized the work of Jasper. "_Thank you_," I thought silently, figuring Edward had something to do with it and would relay the message to Jasper. I opened the door and walked into the living room. Bella and Edward were making conversation with the bane of my existence by the fireplace while Esme listened in, Emmett and Carlisle were fiddling with a fancy looking camera and tripod and Jasper came over to great me. He put a hand on my shoulder and nodded. Even though he gave me the creeps sometimes, I really did like him. I patted him on the back and walked in to greet everyone. Bella looked up and saw me come in and smiled.

"Jacob! I'm so glad you came!"

She had interrupted Joe during their conversation to come greet me and I snickered ever so slightly. I hugged Bella tightly and laughed.

"Of course I came, Bells. As if I actually had a choice," I replied jokingly.

Edward came over next.

"Hello, Jacob. Good to see you. It's been a while since I've seen you in person."

I cringed inwardly as I realized the hidden meaning of his greeting. He hadn't forgotten a certain incident just yet. I was sure I would get quite a pleasant speech about it later.

"Hey, Edward. Yeah it has been a while. I've been, uh, pretty busy."

Joe interrupted us and I was almost happy he broke the tension.

"Hey, man long time no see! How've you been?"

"Hey, Joe," I said, forcing a smile. "I've been pretty good. Just busy with stuff you know. How about you? Nice monkey suit."

Bella shot me a look of disapproval but I caught Edward smiling behind Joe. _Well that's backwards_ I thought to myself. Edward just shrugged his shoulders and kept smiling.

"Oh, yeah thanks! I decided to buy instead of rent. I figured it would be worth the money since…"

I stopped listening to him at that point, not because he had obviously missed the sarcasm of my comment, but because I couldn't hear anything. All of the air got sucked out of the room. My heart had stopped beating. All I could see, all I could think about, the only thing that mattered was Renesmee standing at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a floor length strapless royal purple gown with a slit that went halfway up her thigh. The top was covered half in gems and a big jewel emphasized her tiny little waist. Her face was radiant and her copper hair was all pinned up. I literally couldn't breath. Then she looked at me and I could've died happy right there.

Her eyes never met mine as she made her descent down the staircase and I managed to be the first one waiting for her at the bottom. We stared at each other for a moment until she finally managed to speak.

"You came," she whispered. Her eyes were sparkling and I couldn't tell if they were filled with excitement or tears.

"Of course I came, Ness. I wouldn't have missed this for the world. You look so beautiful I can barely stand it."

She blushed at my compliment but I couldn't hold it in. I grabbed her hand and in that second I tried so hard to relate to her everything I was too scared to say. She squeezed it back and for a moment I thought about never letting her go. Then I was rudely reminded that we weren't the only two people in the world. What's-his-face came in between us and grabbed her by the waist.

"Wow, Ren! You look great!" he said as he placed a polite kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, Joe. You don't look half bad yourself!"

The rest of the family came over to gush about Nessie's hair and her dress and I slowly got pushed further and further away from her. Alice started posing Ness and Joe for various pictures around the house; on the stairs, in front of the fireplace, sitting, standing, pinning corsages. Joe's eyes never left the camera in front of him. My eyes never left Nessie. Then Alice started taking pictures of Nessie with Bella and Nessie with Edward. Finally, the pictures seemed to be drawing to a close when I suddenly heard Nessie speak.

"Wait, Alice. I want a picture with Jake."

Everyone turned to look at me, stunned. I shuffled awkwardly over to her by the fireplace. She placed her hands around my waist and turned her head towards the camera. I put my arms around her and try as I might, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was just too beautiful and having her back in my arms was just too perfect. The result was probably a really awkward picture but I didn't care. After Carlisle took the picture Nessie squeezed me around my middle and whispered softly,

"I miss you."

Alice cleared her throat in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had settled around us.

"Well, kiddos I think it's about time you two hit the road. You don't want to be late."

"Oh absolutely. Here Ren I'll go pull the car up and be right back."

"Ok thanks, sweetie," Nessie replied. She was still standing in my arms and I wasn't going to be the first one to let go.

"So are you excited for tonight?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I think it should be fun I guess."

"I'm sure you'll have a blast."

"Yeah maybe. Unless…"

"Unless what, Ness?"

She looked up at me hesitantly.

"Unless you could give me a reason to stay here instead."

Naturally, at that moment, Joe came back with the car.

"Alright Ren I'm ready whenever you are."

She continued to stare at me waiting for an answer. I was panicking. I could feel my entire body sweat. I wasn't prepared for this. How could I explain everything to her? I had been working a speech about her being an imprint in my head for ages but I had never imagined delivering it in front of her family and her boyfriend. This was all wrong. It wasn't the right moment. I couldn't do it now. My heart sank when I felt her hands leave my waist and heard her say,

"I'm all set. Let's go."

She walked away from me and grabbed his hand. They walked out the door without saying another word to me and the family followed them out to watch them drive off. I stayed where I was, glued to the floor.

Edward was the first one to reenter the house. The others didn't follow and I took it as a sign that the two of us were going to have a talk. I braced myself for the awkward conversation that I had been dreading. Instead, he walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"All I have to say, Jacob, is that if you don't start stepping up your game, I'll have to begin to think that you're not worthy of my daughter after all."

That was all he said before heading back outside presumably to find Bella. I leaned against the fireplace and stared into the flames. I thought long and hard about what he said. I was shocked that Edward had just admitted out loud that he wanted me to be with his daughter. But as for the stepping up my game… He could read my thoughts. He heard what Nessie said to me and he knew what I had been struggling with after she said it. Did he disagree? Did he think that that would have been the right time to tell her? But Edward had always been someone who placed emphasis on the importance of timing and that just wasn't the right moment. I stood and continued to stare into the flames. There was something nagging me in the back of my head but I couldn't figure out what it was. Then it finally dawned on me.

All this time I was worried about telling Nessie that I had imprinted on her.

I should've been worried about telling her that I was in love with her.

It couldn't wait another minute. I ran out of the house and hopped on my bike. I had waited long enough. Tonight would be the night I told Nessie I loved her. Tonight I would offer her my heart and hope that she would take it.

* * *

"I can't believe you helped him," Bella said as she lovingly wrapped her arms around her husband.

"Despite what you may think, I don't dislike Jacob anymore. I told him once that I thought in a different life we could be friends. I want him to be happy."

"Even if it's with your daughter? The only offspring you will ever have?"

"I trust him to make her happy. If he can make her half as happy as you've made me then they have my blessing and I believe he can."

"You realize that you're going to be hearing a lot of dirty thoughts on their part if this all works out right?"

Edward frowned at the realization from his teasing wife. She laughed and he grabbed her close with a wicked grin.

"I suppose you and I will just have to figure out a way to drown them out."


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow, guys. I can't express how much your continued support means to me! Welcome AmazonBlack and thanks for the kind words! Thankfully I don't have class today (college is the worst) so I'm hoping to get a few more chapters up before the weekend starts so stay tuned and enjoy!**

Chapter 12

Renesmee's POV

I sat in Joe's car and stared out the window. I tried to let the steady hum of the car engine relax my nerves but there was nothing that could mend my damaged ego. Or was it a broken heart? Everything had happened so quickly, I wasn't even really sure what happened. I couldn't tell you what possessed me to ask Jake to give me a reason to stay. I wasn't even sure what I was expecting. All I knew was that when I saw him at the bottom of the stairs, my heart was in my throat and I couldn't breath. I hadn't expected him to come. I knew we were going to have to talk eventually. As soon as Aunt Rosalie tested me, I knew I would have to tell him. I just hadn't expected to have to tell him tonight. But then, is there ever really a good time to tell your best friend that you're actually in love with them? That you don't care that there are ridiculous outside forces that will essentially prevent you from ever really being able to be together because you can't live without them? That he is more important than the food that sustains you and the air you breath? How do you say all that?

Given, I didn't actually say any of that. I asked him for a stupid picture and then sprung that stupid line on him. But still, I had expected him to say _something_. An outright rejection would have been better than what he gave me. I would have preferred a definite no to absolute silence. Instead, I felt stupid and rejected. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be giving all this a second thought. I would be strong like my mother had always taught me to be and pick myself up, dust myself off, and enjoy my prom night with the guy who actually loved me. But while I was outside with everyone about to get into the car, Aunt Rosalie pulled me aside. She had Grandpa Carlisle's camera in hand and brought up the picture that he had taken of Jake and me. I hardly recognized myself. I had to hand it to Aunt Rosalie and Aunt Alice they really had outdone themselves. I actually looked beautiful. But what was more shocking was Jacob. I was looking at the camera, cuddled close to him but he was looking right at me. Just looking at the picture made me crave his strong warm embrace. To me, there was no safer place in the world. I could be on a sacrificial alter in a Volturi dungeon and I would still feel safe as long as Jake was there to hold me. I hadn't noticed he was looking at me but the camera clearly captured his emotions. He had a faint smile on his face and his eyes were focused and serious. He was looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. He was looking at me like he…loved me.

I was brought back to Earth from my daydreams by a song on the radio. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton was playing. Tears started welling in my eyes and I had to swallow down a lump in my throat. Jacob used to sing me to sleep with this song when I was little. Why didn't he ask me to stay? I had put myself out there. I had opened the door. No, I had swung the door wide open. All he had to do was walk through. I knew it was impossible that he didn't feel anything for me. We didn't just fuck that afternoon. We made love. It had been tangible when we finished. I could feel it in the air, floating around, surrounding us until my stupid phone rang. And the look in his eyes in that picture was a look of love. I knew it. So why couldn't he meet me halfway?

Then it clicked for me. Of course he couldn't meet me halfway. He had imprinted. I don't know how I kept forgetting about that. It was a part of Jacob. No, it was all of Jacob. He didn't belong to himself; he belonged to whoever _she _was. He couldn't give himself to me because he was already someone else's. It didn't matter if he had loved me once. Sam had loved Leah once, too. I finally understood why Leah was so bitter, so angry. It didn't matter what I did, what I said. Jacob could never be mine. It took everything in me not to cry right there and then. I felt a hand grab mine and looked over at Joe.

"You ok, Ren?"

I blinked the tears away from my eyes and smiled my best smile.

"Yeah I couldn't be better! I'm just really happy and excited and nervous I guess," I forced myself to giggle and it came out a little strangled but he didn't seem to notice.

"I feel the same way. You know there's a lot of talk going around that you and I are going to be Prom King and Queen?"

I actually hadn't been paying attention to any of that. I thought the entire idea was archaic and superficial. The idea of winning a cheap tiara that symbolized just how little people knew you was enough to make me want to puke. But, it seemed important to Joe so I played along.

"Really? I didn't know people were saying that! How cool would that be?"

"Well I already think of you as my Queen so I think it would be pretty fitting."

He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm. I was taken aback by the sweetness of the gesture. He was a good guy. He loved me. And even though I hadn't said it yet, maybe I could love him too. I was never going to have Jacob and it was time to come to terms with that. Maybe I could be happy with Joe. If I was being completely honest with myself I had never put 100% into our relationship, even before I slept with Jacob. It was time to really start trying. I owed it to Joe and I owed it to myself. I felt a sudden urge to be with him. Just him.

"Baby," I said trying to be as seductive as possible. I put my hand on his knee and started stroking patterns on his thigh. "What if we skipped prom? We could drive up to Seattle for the night just you and me. Go to our restaurant. Get a hotel…"

I moved my hand higher up his thigh as I talked in order to emphasize my point.

"Hahaha come on Ren knock it off," was his reply as he put my hand back into my lap and held it there.

"We don't want to miss our prom. Everyone's going to be there. But if you're serious about the hotel," he released my hand and slid a hand up my bare leg under my dress. "I would be more than willing to take you up on that later."

"Why wait until later?"

I said as I slid closer to him. I squirmed in my seat so I could reach over to him. I took one of his arms and wrapped it around me and placed his hand on my ass. I started assaulting his neck, kissing and nipping.

"You can have me right now. Let's just go to Seattle. Please, baby? You've been so good and so patient. I don't want to wait anymore. I want you." I grabbed at his package to emphasize my point.

He hissed in surprise from the contact but instead of enjoying the moment he pushed me back into my seat. The sudden shove had shocked me and if I wasn't half vampire, I'm sure it would've knocked the wind out of me.

"Shit, Ren. What the hell has gotten into you?"

I was mortified at being rejected for a second time in one night. I was really off my game.

"Look, I'm sorry babe. It's not that what you're offering isn't appealing. It's just, prom is something I've really been looking forward to you know? All our friends are going to be there and well all of my brothers have won Prom King. I paid a lot of money for this tux and our tickets and stuff. We only get one of these you know? I promise to make it up to you later ok?"

"Sure. I'm sorry sweetheart I don't know what got in to me. Of course this is important and I'm excited too."

He seemed happy with the resolution and took my hand as I went back to staring out the window. It occurred to me that my boyfriend who supposedly loved me was more concerned about going to prom than spending the night with his girlfriend, a girlfriend who was quite literally throwing herself at him I might add. But he was all I had now. This was really not my night.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Renesmee's POV

Joe and I walked in arm in arm. I smiled at the picturesque scene before me. The gym was decorated with streamers and stars hanging from the ceiling. There was a table with a punch bowl that I could guarantee had already been spiked, and a huge disco ball was spinning around in the center of the dance floor to top it all off. It was tacky and corny, but it was Forks and I loved it. I found myself thinking for the millionth time this year how happy I was to have made the decision to come here instead of Seattle or Port Angeles. Sure it was small town, but it was home.

Our friends gathered around us as we walked farther into the gym. The girls and I exchanged compliments on hair and dresses while the guys slapped each other on the back in greeting. We walked over to get our pictures taken with our respective dates. Joe stood behind me and held me close while we smiled into the camera. We got to look at the picture afterwards on a computer screen. It reflected our relationship to a T. It was charming and proper. We both wore big smiles and I had to admit, we were a very photogenic couple. I couldn't help but notice the difference between this picture and my picture with Jacob. Jacob had only had eyes for me. Joe was staring directly into the camera, his head tilted just so to capture his striking features at just the right angle. Jake was never comfortable in front of a camera lens but Joe lived for it. Something in the back of my mind wondered if he loved me for me or the way we looked together.

After we had all finished taking pictures, we headed out to the dance floor. I've never really been comfortable dancing. Somehow, I managed to inherit my mother's two left feet. Luckily, my friends were almost as awkward as I am and we just bounced around and laughed mostly and pointed out how ridiculous all of the other girls looked trying to seductively dance with their boyfriends while wearing ball gowns. The guys gave up after a song or two, but the girls stayed out on the dance floor. After a while, I noticed that I had lost track of Joe. I discreetly looked around and saw him in a corner talking with someone. I switched places on the dance floor with one of my friends to get a better look. It was Alex, one of the girls who hadn't been so fond of Joe and I getting together. Neither of them looked particularly happy. I struggled to hone in on their conversation. The music was so loud and everyone was laughing and screaming. I forced my mind to focus and finally managed to tune out most of the outside noise.

"Alex, I'm done with this conversation. We'll figure it out later, ok?"

"No, it's not ok, Joe. When are you going to tell her?"

"I already told you, I'm not going to tell her. I warned you when this started I'm not going to break up with her. Especially now."

"What? Little Miss Perfect decided she's finally going to put out?"

"Don't talk about her like that."

"Why not? That's what this all was, wasn't it? You've been trying to sleep with her for months to no avail so that's what you had me for. And now that she's willing to give you what you want, you're going to toss me aside just like that?"

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much. I told you what this was from the very beginning, a way to blow off some steam, and you said you were fine with it."

"Well maybe I'm not anymore. Maybe I'll tell her."

"Alex, don't you dare. Anyway whom do you think she'll believe? Some jealous bitch that's never been nice to her, or her boyfriend?"

I stopped dancing and just stared at them. I had absolutely no idea what to do or say. It was clear that Joe was cheating on me with one of the only girls in the world who I genuinely disliked. Not that it would have made it better if he had cheated on me with someone I liked, but still. Of all people, it had to be her. I could feel people around me staring at me and asking me what was wrong but I couldn't move or breath let alone respond. He told me he loved me. I was ready to try and center my life around him and the whole time he was with her. He was a liar and a cheater. My blood ran cold. I let my instincts take over. I walked over and glared at the two of them. I turned to him and slapped him across the face. He looked at me, shocked and confused.

"Ren, it's not what it looks like."

"Don't. Do not talk to me. Do not call me. Don't even look at me. We are finished. You are the scum of the Earth and I hate you with every fiber of my being. I swear to God if you ever come near me again I will make you regret the day you were born and if you think I'm bluffing, try me."

"Come on, Ren. You don't mean that." He grabbed me by the arm. I looked at it and twisted it behind his back. He yelped in pain.

I whispered dangerously in his ear. "Don't call me Ren."

I released his arm and walked out of the gym. I heard people calling my name so I walked faster. I made it out of the gym and started sprinting. The only problem was I forgot I was wearing heels so naturally I tripped as I made my way out of the school. I sat on the ground for a moment and started to cry. I had scraped my palms catching myself as I fell on the concrete, my dress had torn when I tripped, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had no way home. I was too afraid to call my parents. I couldn't see either of them taking the news that Joe had cheated on me well and as much as I hated him, I didn't actually want him dead. I was beginning to come to terms with the idea of running home when I heard the roar of a motorcycle engine and a voice call out, "Nessie!" But the only person who ever calls me Nessie is…

He was at my side in a second flat. I looked up to find two dark brown eyes overflowing with concern and anger.

"Ness, what the hell happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"Jake," I flung my arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Jake, please. Get me out of here."

"What? Wait, tell me what's going on first."

"I'll explain later. Just please get me out."

He looked at me as if he was going to protest but then thought better of it. He scooped me in his arms and carried me to his bike and handed me his spare helmet. I tried to climb on the back but my dress got in the way. Frustrated, I ripped the fabric and tossed it into the wind behind me as we sped away from my own personal hell.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jacob's POV

It took everything in me to remain calm and collected as Nessie and I got on my bike and drove away from the high school. I didn't know what had happened, but it didn't really matter. She was upset and what's-his-face was nowhere to be seen so it was fair to assume he had done something wrong. If he had hurt her in any way, shape, or form, so help me God… I forced myself to stop the thought. Otherwise, I knew I would lose control and that would do a lot more harm then good right now. Instead I chose to focus on how close Nessie was to me, how tightly she was holding on to me, how I could still feel her heartbeat despite the vibrations from my bike. I felt her slide a hand up to my face and could see that she didn't want to go home. She wanted to go to the beach at La Push. I made a turn for the reservation and ended up pulling up in front of my house. I looked back and saw a face filled with sadness and confusion that absolutely broke my heart. I took of my helmet and took one of her hands in mine.

"We're going the beach, Nessie. Don't worry. I just figured you might want to change first and we could grab some blankets or something. It gets chilly down by the water."

She absent-mindedly nodded her head and walked into the house. She stood helplessly in the kitchen while I went into my room and found her some sweatpants and an old thermal that I hadn't worn in years. I returned to the kitchen and handed them to her. She took them silently and went into the bathroom. I packed a backpack with a blanket, a flashlight, some water bottles, and a few beers that I had in the fridge. I wasn't really sure what she would want or need so as I waited, I collected a few other odd objects that I saw lying around, trying to keep busy. She emerged from the bathroom in the clothes I had lent her. She had cleaned off the makeup Rosalie had put on her and taken all of the pins out of her hair. It fell around her shoulders in radiant copper tendrils that I longed to run my fingers through. As beautiful as she had looked early that night, I preferred her like this. This was my Nessie and she was perfect just the way she was. She didn't need makeup and fancy hair to be exquisite.

I cleared my throat.

"Um, so I was thinking we could go down to the beach and I'll start a fire and you can tell me what happened. Does that sound ok? Or we could just walk on the water. Or sit on the water. Or we could go over by the cliffs. Or…"

"A fire sounds great, Jake. Let's do that."

She walked out of the house and I awkwardly followed. We started making our way to the beach in a comfortable silence. I knew she needed to talk but I didn't want to push her. She would start explaining everything in her own time. When we were about halfway there, she shyly reached out and grabbed my hand. I interlocked our fingers and squeezed it tightly. I loved the way they fit together. They were so different. Her hands were small and delicate while mine were large and calloused. She was white as snow and almost glowed against my tan skin. But they balanced each other perfectly and looked like they belonged together.

We finally made it to the beach and found a pit that had been used fairly recently. I found some wood and started a fire while she retrieved the blanket from the backpack and laid it out for us. When I finished I turned to see her holding two bottles of beer with a cocked eyebrow.

"Trying to get me drunk, Jake?"

"I wasn't sure what you would want," I said sheepishly. "And one beer will hardly get you hammered."

"No, you picked right. You always do."

I sat down on the blanket next to her and we stared into the fire.

"So. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"There's really not much to tell," she said with a sigh. "He was cheating on me, I confronted him, I got him in an arm lock, and then I ran out."

"Wait. He CHEATED on you?"

I felt my blood run cold and I was seeing red. I would kill him. I would literally go back to the school and maul him. I knew he was stupid, but how could you throw away an opportunity to be with the most perfect creature on the face of the Earth? I would be doing the world a favor by killing him. The world was full of morons and we would be better off with one less idiot.

"Jake, please calm down. I'm ok. Yes, he's a despicable excuse for a human being and what he did is disgusting but it's really not that big of a deal."

"Nessie, of course it's a big deal. He cheated! He hurt you!"

"No, he didn't. I mean, yeah, it wounded my ego a little bit but other than that I came out unharmed."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not."

She went back to staring at the fire for a moment and I waited for her to continue.

"I didn't love him," she whispered so softly I wasn't sure I heard it.

"You…you didn't?"

"No. I didn't. I thought that maybe I could but now that I think about it, I know I never really did. I think about my parents and Grandma and Grandpa and everyone else and Joe and I never had what any of them have. I should have realized from the beginning that if I had to make a conscious effort to try and love him that it wasn't real. I guess I just really didn't want to be alone."

I wrapped her up in my arms and she let her head rest on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head and drew soothing circles on her back.

"You'll never be alone, Nessie. I'll never leave you alone."

We sat like that for a while until I suddenly felt her body stiffen underneath mine. She untangled herself from my arms and locked her eyes with mine.

"What were you doing there tonight? Why did you come?"

"Because I love you."

I watched as her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Damn it. I had practiced a whole speech on my ride over to the high school. I was going to make a big scene at the prom and impress her with my well-composed verses of my undying love for her. It was going to be smooth and poetic and she would've eaten it up. Instead, I blurted it out like an idiot. Nice going, Jake.

"Wha-what did you just say?"

I took a deep breath. Everything that I was planning on saying was completely gone now. I was going to have to improvise.

"I said I love you. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and I've made a real mess of things. I should've told you forever ago so that I could spend every day after that telling you how much I love you. I was a coward. I was afraid to tell you. I was afraid to fight for you because I wasn't sure what I would do if you didn't love me back. The greatest regret of my life will always be that for the past year, I didn't fight for you. I thought I was doing the right thing, but you deserved better because you deserve everything. If I've learned anything from this, it's that I don't think there can be any greater pain than the pain of not telling you and seeing you with someone else. You can't possibly comprehend how much I love you. If you could ever find a way to love me, then nothing else would matter. The sun could fade out into nothing, the moon and the stars could fall on our heads, the Earth could flood, or freeze, or burn, and it wouldn't matter. If you could ever find a way to love me, I wouldn't need food or water. There'd be no need for air. If you could find a way to love me, then I could do or be anything. You're love is all I need."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Renesmee's POV

I sat there in disbelief. I could feel myself staring at him and I knew that he was waiting for an answer but I didn't even know where to begin. He loved me. How could he possibly love me? It didn't make sense. It couldn't be true. It was everything I had ever hoped for, everything that I ever wanted. It was like the ending of a fairytale, the slipper fit, the kiss broke the curse, the prince saved the princess and they rode off into the sunset. But those things don't happen in real life. You can't possibly have everything. It doesn't work like that. I felt like I was dreaming .I was afraid to move, to talk, to breath. If I did, I might break whatever fantastic spell I was under and wake up to find that I had just imagined it all. Yet there he was, sitting in front of me. Waiting.

"You…love…me?"

"With every fiber of my being," he replied. I looked deep into his eyes and they revealed that he was telling the truth.

"How can that be possible?"

"How could I not?" he laughed. I felt him wipe tears from my cheeks that I hadn't even realized were there. "You're perfect."

I still hadn't said anything.

"Nessie," he sighed. "I know I just sprung something huge on you. You don't have to say anything right now, or ever really. I just couldn't live with you not knowing anymore. I was a little, uh, intense I know it's just that I really do love you that much. But that doesn't mean that you ever have to feel obligated to love me back. I just wanted you to know that I'm here. I'll always be here. You'll never be alone because I will always be an option for you. Always."

"Only you're not. You won't." I was crying freely now.

"What do you mean? Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Yes, I heard you Jake. But aren't you forgetting something? You're a wolf. You have an imprint. It doesn't matter how much you love me. There will always be someone else that you need. There will always be something that I can't give you and it will kill us both. I am capable of a lot of things. I'm strong and independent. If it were different circumstances than I would fight till the death for you. But how can I fight something that's embedded in your DNA? How can I try and be with you if you can never give me all of you? I can't love you, Jake, because you're not mine to love even if you want to be. You belong to whoever she is. And the thing that kills me is that it is a logical impossibility that she could ever love you half as much as I do. Loving you is the greatest thing that I have ever done and will ever do. But it doesn't matter because even though you have my heart, and I mean my whole heart, someone else will always have a huge piece of yours."

I drew my knees into my chest and sobbed. My entire body shuddered and there wasn't enough air. My lungs were crying out for oxygen but my body refused to provide it. I had just showed Jacob the darkest corners of my heart, revealed all of my secrets and unveiled the things that scared me the most. It left me feeling empty and broken. The one person that could put me back together again would never be able to give me everything that I needed. My insides felt hollow. For the first time in my existence, I felt more vampire than human. I felt as if there was no blood in my veins or air in my lungs. I felt dead.

Then Jacob was prying my head from my knees. He was kneeling in front of me and he held my face in his hands. I basked in his warmth and tried to use it to calm my nerves. I was mortified and I couldn't meet his eyes.

"Renesmee," his voice was soft and troubled. In my head, I heard a little voice telling me to brace myself. He was about to confirm all of my worst fears. I would have to find a way to move on, but how?

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, baby, please. Look at me."

I reluctantly raised my gaze to meet his. I saw tears in his eyes and despite his warm hands on my face I felt my entire body grow cold again. In all my years, I had never seen Jake cry. I braced myself for the worst.

"Is this imprinting thing the only thing stopping you from loving me?"

"Well, it's kind of a big deal, Jacob! I mean…"

"Please, just wait. If it weren't for the imprinting, would you really love me back?"

"Jake, even with the imprinting thing, I love you more than you can possibly imagine. I love you more than anyone has ever loved another person."

"Wow," he exclaimed as he leant back and sat on his heels. "I've made a real mess of this."

"It's not your fault, Jake," I said softly. "You can't help it. I understand. I'll be ok."

He looked up at me startled.

"What? No, Nessie, you don't understand." He took a deep breath and took both of my hands in his. "Nessie, I imprinted on you."

"You… what?"

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a nervous sigh.

"It's you, Ness. You're my imprint."

I stared at him in disbelief for the second time that night.

"When?"

"The day you were born."

I could feel my head reeling. I was Jacob's imprint. A part of me was rejoicing. He really was mine. I didn't have to lose him to someone else. We could be together. But there was another part of me that was angry. A fire now burned in the hole that had occupied my heart seconds before. He had known all along that we would end up together. He had let me be with an asshole for a year and said nothing. He had known my fate, he knew what was endgame, and he had allowed me to get hurt not only by Joe but also by myself. He let me torture myself for months, trying to battle something inside myself that was impossible to deny. I had confronted him about it. I had confronted Leah about it. He had forced my best friend to lie to me and drove a wedge between us. The more I fumed, the larger the fire grew in my heart until it consumed my entire body and I was ready to explode.

I jumped to my feet.

"How could you not tell me?" I screamed at him. "How could you let me torture myself for months and months. How could have you kept something like this from me? Think about everything that's happened this year, Jake. Do you realize that everyone could have been spared a lot of time and pain if you had just told me? I forced myself to be in a relationship with an asshole! I haven't spoken to Leah in months! What the hell were you thinking?"

He stood up angry and embarrassed.

"I was trying to do what was best for you!"

"Jacob," I cried out exasperated, "in what kind of fucked up crazy world is this what's best for me?"

"Ness," his voice was stern but his eyes were desperate. "I need you to calm down. Do me a favor and use that big brain of yours to think back and remember everything I've ever said and everything you've ever overheard about my imprint."

I huffed but even in my anger I couldn't deny him anything. I searched my memory for some clue as to what he was talking about.

_"So you're still not going to tell her?"_

_"No. I won't tell her until I know she loves me for me and not because she thinks she has to because of some predestined bullshit."_

_"And if she doesn't choose to be with you?"_

_"Then she'll never find out."_

_"You're a good man Jacob Black. If I didn't love her as much as I did, I would say she doesn't deserve you."_

_"Don't be silly, Bella. She deserves everything."_

_"Imprinting… doesn't automatically mean that you have romantic feelings for someone. Think about Claire and Quil. He imprinted on her when she was just a baby. He didn't fantasize about her or anything. He knew he would fall in love with her eventually but not until it was what she needed. And more importantly, the imprint doesn't necessarily have to fall in love with the person who imprinted on them. Right now, I'm waiting to see if she loves me for me and not because she feels like she has to."_

I felt the fire go out immediately.

"You were afraid that I wouldn't love you back?"

"Terrified, actually," he replied. "I didn't want you to grow up thinking that there was no way out and you had to be with me. I wanted you to have options. I wanted you to be able to be able to embrace as much of your human side as you possibly could. I wanted you to get to fall in love the normal way even if it wasn't with me. Like I said, imprinting doesn't mean that you have to love me. I wanted you to be able to make the choice. If I'm being completely honest, I think a part of me needed to know that you loved me because you wanted to and not because you had to. It was selfish but if I hadn't done it, I always would have wondered. I'm so sorry, Nessie. The last thing that I ever wanted to do was to cause you pain. You have no idea how many times this year that I wanted to tell you but it never seemed like the right time. Ironically, it only just occurred to me that I should have just told you I loved you. I've been so worried about all of the imprinting bullshit that I didn't follow my own rule and concentrate on love first."

"You're not selfish, Jacob," I said softly. I took his hands in mine and pressed them to my lips. "You're the kindest, most caring, most perfect person that I know. And it worked. I love you for you. You may not believe it, but there was never really any other option for me. It was always you, Jacob."

He grabbed me in his arms and leaned in to kiss me but I stopped him.

"I need to ask you one thing. I don't know if you'll know the answer, but do you promise to answer me honestly?"

"I'll never lie to you, Nessie."

"Ok," I shifted uncomfortably and was too nervous to meet his eyes. "Do you think… do you think that you would love me even if you hadn't imprinted on me?

"Yes," he replied simply.

"Jake, come on. You have absolutely no doubt in your mind that you would still have fallen in love with me?"

"Nessie, I'm a little reluctant to tell you this, but I think on some level, you already know. I have to do everything in my power to make you happy. You told me to tell you the truth, so I had to tell you the truth. Do I think it would have been different? Absolutely I do. The tribe doesn't know the real reasoning for imprinting. Sam thinks it has something to do with reproduction. My dad thought it all came down to who could make you strongest. Personally, I think it all comes down to finding your true soul mate. Sam and Leah were in love, but even Leah has admitted that there were things about their relationship that they could never get past, though she never says what they were. If I didn't imprint on you, I do think that I would've fallen in love with you but I also think that there would've been a chance that we wouldn't have ended up together for a multitude of reasons. The pack…well you know about how they felt about you when you were first born." Rosalie had kindly filled me in once when she thought I was spending too much time with the wolves. She apologized later. "Your family could have moved away after you were born and I probably wouldn't have followed them. I could've let the age thing or your family come between us. Honestly, I think imprinting is just a way of showing us who our soul mates are and help us overcome all obstacles to be together. So yes, I can say with confidence I would have fallen in love with you because it was what I was born to do. We were meant for each other. It was always supposed to be you and me."

My eyes were filled with tears of happiness and I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. We sunk down on the blanket and proved just how much we loved one another.

**Alright guys I need your opinion. Do we want the next chapter to be a lemony break from the story line where we find out just how they proved their love or do we want to move on and find out what happens next? Let me know what you think! **


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